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by Pelkasauras -Cherry3456
Summary: Jill's biggest triumph is her worst mistake. After being on the run for months, she finds herself living in Forget-Me-Not Valley. Dark secrets get in the way of her trying to form a normal life, and she can't leave even though she knows she's endangering others with each day she stays, especially when she falls for Skye, who may be much more of a threat than she cares to admit.
1. Chapter 1: Run

**Chapter 1: Run**

Her breath came in short, rapid puffs. Every diaphragm movement made her ribs scream in protest, but she wouldn't stop running. She couldn't stop running. Or else they'd catch up.

The girl took an abrupt turn right off of the path she had been following. She ran straight through the trees, praying to the Goddess that there wouldn't be any obstacles in front of her that she couldn't already see in the dim moonlight. The forest was dense and trees had fallen everywhere due to the typhoons a few days back, but hopefully the fallen logs would slow down her pursuers, as well.

She could hear them. They were coming faster. _Run, run, run, don't look back, _she thought to herself. _Don't panic. Just run. Fly. You've done it before. Come on, you can lose them. This isn't hard, Jill! _

Jill shook her head, trying to forget about how much her chest felt like it was going to explode, how painful every step was, how close the predators were getting. Instead, she ran faster. This was it. All or nothing. Escape, or get caught, and it's all over. There was no time to rest and the trees weren't good for climbing. Normally she would have been able to outwit them and scramble up a tree that would only support her weight, but the branches on these trees were too high up.

Leaves and twigs crunched behind her. Still, she didn't look back. She was sure they were close enough to hear her heartbeat and sense her fear, but she kept running. No one said anything; they were all too breathless to even utter a word. She wouldn't put it past them, however, to utter a few grunts. After all, she did call them pigs. Both of the men were chubby and big, but that made them all the more dangerous. She was relatively small. Sure, she had some meat on her, but muscle? Muscle was nonexistent in Jill-land.

The next few moments happened in a rough, adrenaline-filled blur. Jill's worst fears came true, and she suddenly tripped on a log and tumbled to the ground. She had one split second where there was only enough time for fear to set in, and then she was suddenly pinned to the forest floor by something heavy. _Pig number one, _she thought. The wretched scent of alcohol filled her nose, and the pig was breathing heavily right into her face. She began to wriggle like a fish out of water, desperately trying to escape the man's grasp. But, like the first time she had been caught, he was much too strong. He repositioned himself so that he was able to keep her down without lying on top of the girl, and then smiled so sickeningly that the acid began to churn in Jill's stomach. His bald head shone in the moonlight, and she could see a faint outline of his leather jacket.

Eventually, Jill decided that resisting was pointless, and she let herself relax physically for a few moments. Her mind and emotions, however, were racing even faster than before as she calculated the chances of survival in her head. They were pretty high. That was, at least, until they dragged her to headquarters, where the High Pig himself, who went by the codename of Hawk, or more commonly referred to by the Pigs as "boss", would execute her.

Finally, the first pig, the one that had pinned Jill down, spoke.

"Well," he huffed, "look who we have here. The little brown-haired sweetheart that keeps runnin' away." His contorted smile made the girl sick to her stomach.

Trying to contain her anger, Jill simply glared at the pig instead of replying. His breath was starting to make her sick, and she felt like vomiting right in his face.

When he realized that Jill wasn't going to reply, he smiled even wider, and continued, "Don't got any words on ya, eh? Heh...heh." His laughs were simply airy huffs of breath, and Jill's mind started reeling again.

How to escape, how to escape? Wait until he let his guard down? An obvious decision. Relax until then? Possibly. But how long did she have, and how far would she get before they caught up again? She glanced frantically to her left and right, trying to get a sense of her surroundings. They were on a hill. The log she had tripped on was to her left, so it would be impossible to escape that way. A long, relatively steep slope, about thirty feet, stretched down on her right. A few trees dotted the hillside, and then they thickened up again at the bottom. How could she use that to her advantage? They were just on the edge of it. She could escape. Right?

With these thoughts plaguing her mind, Jill hardly heard the pig when he barked to his companion, "Call Hawk. Tell 'im we got her and we'll be there tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Pig two questioned. This surprised Jill. She hardly ever heard the second one talk. She liked him more for that reason. It meant she didn't have to get a sample of his breath quite as often. His voice was also a bit softer and more pleasant to listen to than Pig Number One's.

"Yeah," Pig one laughed. "I have a few...plans, that I've got for the little pet tonight." He pulled a knife out of his pocket, a sadistic smile stretching across his face, and Jill's mind was sent flying faster than before.

_Okay, more calculations, _she thought. _While death isn't a possibility until tomorrow, that knife looks like it could inflict some pretty gruesome wounds. Which means I need to get out of here before that thing touches my skin. I hate blood..._

"You know what boss said," Pig two growled coolly, interrupting her frantic thoughts. "Bring her back alive."

_Yes, _Jill thought. _You, Mr. Pig Two, are my new best friend for the moment. _

"I never said anything 'bout killin' her," Pig one chuckled. "Just a few wounds...for the road." He started lowering the knife toward her forehead, and the adrenaline shot through her once more. Jill shuddered when his hot breath wafted into her nose again. It smelled more wretched than a sweaty gym sock left in a room of cigarette smoke. Thinking quickly, she gathered a mouthful of saliva and blood and spat in his face, knowing that it would anger him, which was exactly what she intended to do. Rage makes one blind.

A few angry curses came from his lips, and Jill smiled a bit to herself as she watched him recoil. He leaned backward just enough that some small percentage of his weight left Jill's legs and torso. In that split second, she shifted as much of her weight to the right as possible, and wiggled out from under him. Then, she was rolling down the huge hill, thanking the Goddess that topography was in her agreement that night.

There was no time for recovery once at the bottom. She stood up without a moment's rest, and tried to take in her surroundings in a split second. Angry shouts came from the top of the hill, and knew she only had a few precious moments before the chase began again. A head start, and that was good, but only a small one. Therefore, she was off and running again within the next three seconds.

_Thud thud thud thud. _Her feet were loud and clumsy, and she could feel the pain race up her legs with each touch of the ground, making her steps amplified to the tenth power. Running and pain, however, had both become relatively familiar things to Jill in the past year, and so she pushed the ache away with ease, finding relief in the adrenaline that still gave her energy.

She allowed herself one glance over the shoulder to get an idea of how far away the pigs were. She was about twenty good feet ahead of them. Just enough space, she knew from experience, to make a quick get away _if _she could find the right diversion. But she'd have to think fast, because it wasn't much longer before they'd catch up again.

And then, she found it: there was a steep, rocky cliff coming up on her left, and the moonlight was shining on a thin crack in the wall, just big enough for a girl her size to squeeze through, and just small enough to keep the Pigs out if they found her. She made a dive for the cavern, grateful for the four years she had played softball when she was a teenager, and slipped through the crack, finding just enough space to curl up in a ball and catch her breath, even though it was uncomfortable.

Her heart seemed to echo in her ears, and she could feel the blood pounding in the veins in her neck. It was a horrible feeling, but she had grown used to it during the past few months. Running was an everyday thing. There was always something to run from or run toward.

She listened to the outside world closely, trying to ignore the sticky fluid she was faintly aware of that was running down her neck. A head wound was never good. Jill sent a quick prayer of thanks to the Goddess that she found the cavern _and _a prayer requestthat the wound would be shallow. Then, she set her focus back on the men outside. The first pig was making a wild racket, trying to figure out where Jill had disappeared. The second pig, as usual, was quiet, though she could see his outline just barely through the crack in rock. Jill ignored the ringing sound in her ears as she tried to listen to what the first pig was saying.

"Damn it!" he shouted. Jill flinched as she heard the snap of a tree branch, and assumed that he had snapped one off of a tree in his rage. _That could have been my arms and legs, _she thought, and a shiver traveled down her spine. "I swear to the Goddess above, I'll get that girl. Have you called Hawk yet?"

When she didn't hear a reply from the second pig, Jill simply assumed he had shaken his head in response.

"Good. Don't. We've still got time before the deadline. Hell, I could do this all year!" A few more moments of silence, and then, "Come on, let's search a bit more, and then we'll head back to town. She won't be that hard to find again."

Jill listened as their clunky footsteps began to fade away into the forest. She hardly breathed until she was sure they were gone. Even then, she didn't leave the cavern. If they were tricking her, she'd be captured in a second. For the moment, she had a safe hiding place.

She had escaped. For a few hours, at least, and days, if she was lucky. But she couldn't keep this up. She needed rest, a normal life again. But she knew she wouldn't get it until the corporation was completely dead. Gone. Poof. But that, of course, would require more exposure of the files. And Jill wasn't sure she wanted to be anywhere near Headquarters again anytime soon.

A sudden exhaustion suddenly swept over the small girl. She stretched out a bit, and decided that the cavern, though cramped, wouldn't be that bad of a place to rest until the morning. Then she'd find a doctor. Hopefully someone in a small town who wasn't at all associated with the corporation. She'd had enough sightings in the past few weeks.

After all, judging by the blood still running from her head, she would probably need legitimate medical treatment for this one, not just a few bandages out of her soiled rucksack.

With that thought, the wave finally won over, and Jill was fast asleep, happily lost in the world of her dreams and memories, if only for a few hours.

• • •

Somewhere in the far off distance of Jill's dream, an alarm sounded.

Her heart began pounding, and she could feel her legs start moving quickly, though she felt like even if she tried running, she'd get nowhere.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and the alarm continued sounding. Men dressed in black flooded from various hallways, all with guns. They raised and cocked them all simultaneously, and fear sunk in, making Jill's stomach feel hollow and heavy at the same time.

Suddenly, a painful stinging sensation hit Jill's shoulder, and she crippled to the ground just as the black blobs of men around her disappeared. They were replaced by blurred white images. Doctors. Everywhere. Her shoulder still stung. And then there was more black, and she was off and running again. The whole time, the alarm continued to sound, whether she was being chased or seeing a rare friendly face. Images appeared and reappeared, blurred together and then separated.

She was left facing a computer screen. A cursor blinked at her, intimidating her, daring her to expose the files. She wouldn't go down without a bang. She wouldn't go down without revenge.

And oh, a bang there was. The images were sent flying again, faster than before. And, though less prominent than before, the alarm still sounded.

• • •

Jill woke abruptly, her eyes fluttering wildly, blinking away the glaze of tears that distorted her sight. Her vision blurred once, twice, until she could see the dimly lit walls of the cavern she had fallen asleep in last night.

Last night. Memories and images came rushing back to her. Slowly, Jill raised a hand to her head, following the trail of dry blood to a cut on her scalp that had seemed to stop bleeding sometime after she fell asleep, judging by the fact that it was no longer wet. She tried sitting up and, though it made her head feel a bit light, decided that she would be able to limp to a nearby town and hopefully get some medical attention, restock her supplies, and then move on to Goddess-knows-where before the Pigs found her again.

Taking a deep breath, Jill flipped over so that she was on her hands and knees instead of her back, and slowly crawled out of the cave into the morning sunlight.

It was so bright outside that she felt a bit like a vampire from old horror movies at first. She recoiled back, shielding her eyes with her hand, and blinked rapidly until her eyes adjusted again. Then, she took a look around. The forest was much less taunting in the sunlight than it was in the moonlight. The trees didn't seem to have outreaching fingers anymore that threatened to pull her in, and now that she could see the obstacles in the light it didn't seem nearly as dangerous, either.

Glancing at the watch on her wrist, Jill realized that she slept in a bit later than usual. It was already eight-thirty, instead of six, which was the time she usually got up.

_My body kind of needs the rest, though. _She smiled a bit, trying to count how many days it had been since the Pigs had found her and started the seemingly never-ending chase. Three? Maybe four? But still, there had been at least two nights when she got little to no sleep, as every crack of a twig or brush of the wind would send her flying through the forest again in fear that they would catch up.

After taking a long stretch that left her feeling a bit dizzy, Jill searched the ground for a big, sturdy stick that she could use for hiking. Eventually she settled with breaking one off of a dead tree, and then she was off.

The first step was to make it back up the hill, and onto the main path again. She would stay in the trees for cover, but she still wanted to follow the dirt road she had been on before. While it meant being a bit more exposed, she would sacrifice the dense forest trees for a faster route to a town. After all, if her head got any lighter, she wasn't sure she would be able to take a longer route, for fear of passing out in the forest before making it anywhere safe.

The sun was already beating down through the trees, though the winter air was still chilly. A light snow had dusted the ground overnight, but it was nearing spring. About two days ago Jill had realized it was the Starry Night Festival when she was sneaking through a town and watching couples gaze at the stars. Though, this year, she had no one to spend it with and no home to celebrate at. Nonetheless, that meant it was nearly spring, and the cold air would hopefully go away and make traveling easier.

Jill pulled her blue, ripped up jacket tightly around her, shivering slightly. It was probably twenty degrees outside, if that. How she had managed to survive the night freezing in that cavern was beyond her intelligence. Thank Goddess for adrenaline, she supposed. At least, Jill thought to herself, there wasn't as much snow on the ground anymore. Trying to travel in her thin shoes a week before had proved to be incredibly painful, wet, and cold.

She eventually reached the top of the hill, and continued to travel through the forest until she came to the path she had turned off of last night. It was a small, rarely used dirt road, and was probably always traveled by on foot and maybe horse. The last city she had come from had been Mineral Town, which she knew was about twenty miles from her current location, give or take a few. This was the furthest out from any civilization she had been for quite a while, as the Pigs had given her quite a chase and lead her all the way into the wilderness. She had done all right living off of the forest, though. The Goddess had always been kind to her in that way, even though Jill believed She hated her in other conditions, like the loss of her family.

But that was a topic she refused to ponder any further. She had learned that crying did no good, and only running got you somewhere. Thinking could be useful, too, if it was about the right things.

It was around lunchtime when Jill finally found some sort of hope that there was a town nearby. The trees had thinned greatly to the point where there was almost no cover. Two natural walls of rock opened up to let the rest of the path through, and beyond that was a moderately large farm. While Jill was still cautious, she figured that this town, if any town at all, was pretty out in the middle of nowhere, so hopefully no one would have any idea what the corporation was and she could be seen without being questioned of her identity. Therefore, she wasn't as afraid of not having any cover.

She was, however, worried that she wouldn't make it to a doctor without passing out, and so she trudged on. Her brain gradually became cloudier and cloudier, and she was unable to form very cohesive thoughts. Her vision blurred a few times, and she found herself losing her footing a bit every so often. _Maybe, _she thought, _I lost more blood than I realized..._

Her breath started coming in short gasps, and she could feel each of her limbs go numb. Eventually, she toppled over in the snow, though she didn't really realize it at first. Some part of her brain made note that she was near a bridge that went over a river, and that she suddenly became cold. Very, very cold. Her eyes snapped shut, and her brain became cloudy.

A sheet of exhaustion fell over the girl, and she was swept away into cold, murky waters.

• • •

"When do you think she'll wake up?"

"Be patient, Marlin. That's the third time you've asked that question and the answer is still the same: I don't know. She's obviously lost a lot of blood and some water has clogged up her lungs. But she's young and she's got a lot of years left in her. She'll be fine."

"But it's been _six hours, _Doctor Hardy, and-

"Yes, I know it's been six hours. But she is going to be fine. Don't you worry. You gave her CPR soon enough so that she didn't suffer any serious damage from falling in the river."

"And the blood loss?"

Doctor Hardy took a deep breath in, and then replied, "Yes, there was a lot of blood loss. I'm curious as to what exactly this girl has been through lately. But I still believe she'll wake up eventually. I've closed up all of her bad cuts, and the head wound has stopped bleeding, as well. Now all that's left is to wait."

The words all seemed muddled in Jill's brain. She knew what they were probably saying; she had heard the discussions in movies and books enough. There was always someone that passed out and got found. In fact, it had happened to her a few times now. Three times, maybe four? Of course, she had never fallen in a river, too, but still. It was, really, nothing new. So she was able to assume they were discussing when she would wake up, as it was the same in real life as in movies and books. Because she was now able to form somewhat coherent thoughts, she guessed it would probably be soon.

Jill frowned in her sleep. _Waking up._ She wasn't really sure she even _wanted _to wake up. Maybe she'd rather die. The chasing and the running were getting very tiring. She was the Jerry and the Pigs were Tom, but she wasn't sure she was nearly as clever as the small brown mouse, and the Pigs weren't as dumb as the cat, either. They were slow and clumsy, sure, but they weren't stupid, as much as Jill hated to admit it. They had their moments of intelligence, because, if not, they were punished. Hawk made sure of that.

The world was gradually becoming clearer as Jill's senses became less clouded. She could feel the warm bed sheets on top of her, and damp hair pressed against her left cheek. Her eyelids felt less heavy, and her pinky finger suddenly twitched. The light behind her eyelids was becoming brighter, and Jill was suddenly aware of the dull ache in her head and how dry her throat was. It was as if she was traveling through a tunnel, and as she drew closer and closer to the light of the outside world, she became more and more alive.

One of the men in the room with her suddenly spoke again. "Why are you so worried, anyway, Marlin? Do you know this young lady?"

The other man didn't reply for a moment. Jill supposed he shrugged. "Wouldn't you be worried if you saw a girl almost drown in a river, too? And I don't want to have jumped in that river to get her just for her to die a few hours later."

Doctor Hardy sighed, and Jill heard a few rattling noises in the background, and then something that sounded like a drawer shutting.

"What are those?" Marlin asked.

"Pain killers," the Doctor replied, "for when she wakes up."

Finally, Jill was able to muster enough energy to let out a groan. It sounded feeble to her ears, but Doctor Hardy and Marlin both heard. A chair groaned on the floor as it was pushed backwards, and Jill suddenly felt the presence of someone standing over her.

"Is she awake?" Marlin asked.

There was no response, but Jill suddenly opened her eyes. The light of the room was so bright compared to the darkness she had been in before that she shut them immediately again, wincing from the pain in her forehead. Doctor Hardy rested a hand on her shoulder, and she flinched away. She had grown used to the idea that physical contact was dangerous and meant she would be hurt soon, and it took Jill a moment to remember that this was a doctor, and he seemed to not mean any harm.

She tried relaxing again, and opened her eyes, preparing herself for the bright light again. It was less stunning this time, and she was able to keep her eyes open as long as she blinked rapidly. Tears gathered in her eyes, whether from pain or lack of use she wasn't sure, and they ended up spilling over onto her cheeks. She wanted to wipe them away but didn't know if she could move her arm quickly enough, so she let them be.

Doctor Hardy handed her a glass of water and two rather large, white pills, and Jill knew they were painkillers. She accepted them gratefully, and drank the rest of the water even after she had swallowed the pills, as it somewhat soothed the rawness of her throat. Once she was done, Doctor Hardy took the glass, and Jill took a moment to survey her surroundings with a critical eye to see whether she was really safe here or not. It was a habit she had picked up just after the first week of being chased.

Two people in the room: the Doctor, who seemed normal enough despite his strange eye and somewhat odd clothing, and Marlin, who looked something like a younger reincarnation of a grouchy Elvis Presley. She was lying on a bed, one of two in the single-room house. Walls made of ply wood, three windows, one small kitchen, two bookshelves, a chest with several drawers, and lots of medical equipment in one corner. It smelled like a mix between red wine and medicine, but not the bad kind of drug-smell. Just normal drug-smell. There was no TV in the house, but an old radio covered in dust rested on the kitchen counter and an even older looking telephone hung on the wall to her right.

For the moment, Jill concluded, she was safe enough. There was nothing too suspicious to worry about.

Doctor Hardy pulled his stool up to the side of Jill's bed and gave her a warm, skin-crinkles-around-the-eyes smile. He was pretty old, but he seemed nice.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently. Jill's eyes darted to Marlin, who was standing by the coffee table, and back to the Doctor.

Eventually, she croaked, "Alright, I guess."

The Doctor chuckled dryly, and said, "You took quite a plummet there, missy. Rolled down the bank into a river after you passed out. If Marlin hadn't been taking a walk outside you might have died. Not to mention that head wound and all the other cuts you have. What have you been up to lately?"

Jill's brain whirled at his question, not taking a moment to allow herself any rest despite her new injuries. She was assessing the Doctor in her mind while trying to formulate a response. She thought of the Pigs, the organization, Hawk, how she had been running for at least the past year from town to town with no home, job, and sometimes no food. She thought of the pain she had been through, physically and emotionally. She thought of her biggest mistake and her biggest triumph. She thought of the places she had seen and the people she had met, and also the places and people she had left behind.

And she knew she couldn't tell all of that to Doctor Hardy. That would be a horrible, awful mistake.

So, instead, she lied. "I was...hiking. And I came across..." she scrunched eyes shut, as if trying to remember something, and then continued, "a bear. I think. Something big and furry. I don't remember. So I ran...but..." the tears came again, and she was glad. Maybe her lie would be more convincing if she cried. "I tried to find a doctor...and I kept walking...until I found a farm. And then I...I passed out, I think."

Doctor Hardy gave her a long look that she couldn't quite read. Jill sniffled, and blinked the tears away again. The pain medicine was already starting to take effect, and she was grateful that the throbbing in her head had subsided.

She waited for the Doctor to respond, worried that he wouldn't believe her, and even more concerned that he knew something about the organization or was somehow connected to it. With each passing second her worry grew worse and worse, and her heart thudded like a drum.

"I see," Doctor Hardy eventually said. Jill held in a breath of relief. "Well, be glad that Marlin here saw you fall in the river. I think you should probably spend the night here and get some more rest before you even think about getting up, missy."

Jill nodded, though she knew that she couldn't really stay here that long. She'd restock by stealing if she had to, and then she'd be off as soon as she could stand without wobbling. She had learned how to endure pain and keep walking, no matter how difficult, even if it seemed like she'd found a safe haven. After all, no place was safe after a week of staying. She put herself and the people around her in danger that way.

She turned her head toward Marlin, who was turning to leave, and said as loudly as she could, "Thank you. For saving me, I mean."

Marlin nodded, and then left quite abruptly.

"Don't mind him," Doctor Hardy chuckled. "Cranky one, that boy. I've known him since he was just a little tyke. He isn't as gruff as he seems, really."

Jill nodded as Doctor Hardy stood and started shuffling toward the kitchen.

"I bet you're hungry," he chuckled. "How long has it been since you last ate?"

Jill counted the hours in her head. Forty-eight. Two days. Unless you counted the occasional granola bar or wild berries, but those had only been to keep her running. They were hardly full meals.

"Four or five hours," she lied. "I had a sandwich before the...attack. But that was it."

Hardy nodded, and replied, "I see. I'll make you something. Do you like stir fry?"

"Yeah."

They stayed silent for a few minutes. Jill was resisting the urge to fall back asleep, as the sizzling sound of the stir-fry was beginning to lull her back into darkness. Her eyelids drooped, and she wondered how much longer it would take before he was done. Could she take a nap before then? No, napping in unknown territory could be dangerous, even for short amounts of time. Dumb idea, Jill, dumb idea.

"So, what's your name, missy?" Hardy's voice eventually raised her from the trance she had been in. Her mind whirred frantically, thinking of whether to use her real name or not.

"Pony," she eventually said. There was no trance of uncertainty in her voice. Or at least she hoped. "Pony Ryder. With a y, not an i. Kind of ironic, I know."

Pony was actually a nickname one of her old friends had given her, and Ryder was simply something the came up with from the top of her head. But Hardy didn't need to know that.

Hardy grunted. "Pony? That's a nice name," he said. "Unique. Where are you from?"

Again her mind raced. Where, where, where? Somewhere real, somewhere far from here, and not anywhere near headquarters.

"Flower Bud Village," she suddenly replied after only two seconds of thought. Her cousin, Jack, lived there. Or, at least, used to. She wasn't sure where Jack was now. Hopefully Hawk hadn't reached him yet. But it was only a sprouting population a good thousand miles from here that she doubted Doctor Hardy would know of.

"Oh, yes, Flower Bud village, I've heard of that place. Another of my doctor friends, Alex, lives there," Hardy replied. "It's a nice place."

_Shoot, _Jill thought. _Just my luck. Frickin' small world. _

"But if you're from Flower Bud Village," Hardy continued, "what are you doing way out here? And why hike to Forget-Me-Not Valley?"

So that's where she was. She had never heard of it before, and maybe that was a good thing. The question, however, sent her brain spinning once again. She eventually came up with an answer.

"Well, I moved out of my parents' house a while ago," she started, "and I've been looking for some place to settle down and maybe get a job. I was checking out Mineral Town and I thought I'd take a hike. But I went a bit far into the forest because I thought I heard a dog crying and I wanted to help it. See, I really like animals. Anyway, then the bear came, and..." she trailed off.

It was a decent story. Just not her story. In fact, it was quite far from hers.

"Ah, so you're out to see the world a bit. I remember those days," Hardy said, the hint of a smile crinkling his face again.

He came back to her bed with a plate full of stir-fry and a fork in his hand, and helped her sit up.

"Thanks," Jill mumbled. She took the plate and fork, and then tried not to eat too fast. Hardy was either an amazing cook or Caroline Ingalls' favorite saying was ringing true: hunger really _is_ the best sauce. Maybe both, because the stir-fry certainly tasted like the best thing she had eaten in months.

Hardy shuffled back to the kitchen to give her some space to eat, and so that he could clean up. Jill watched his movements closely, still trying to decide whether to trust him or not. There didn't seem to be any deadly poison in the food, and he had treated all of her wounds well, as far as she could tell. Besides, that old radio looked like it was never used, and there was no television in the room, so how could he know anything about the file outbreak or have any connection with the headquarters?

Still, that eye freaked her out.

Eventually, Jill set the plate aside and started to feel extremely drowsy again. A small part of her mind wondered if she should ask for her rucksack so that she could use the contents to defend herself if she had to, but she decided that sleep, at the moment, was her most important priority. With that thought, she rolled over, let her defense systems down, and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

**• • •**

**A/N: **If this is your first time reading my story, just know these two things: I'm completely and utterly strange, and I have a totally inconsistent updating schedule. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Update as of 12/1/12: Changed the author note to this chapter a lot, so if it looks different, that's why. Don't worry, you aren't going insane or anything. :) Also, unlike what I first said, I've now planned like 80% of the story. The other 20% not planned is to keep things interesting for me. It can't be fun only for you guys. ;) Anyway, hope you enjoyed. :)


	2. Chapter 2: Instincts

**Chapter 2: Instincts **

For the first time in a long time, Jill slept for a full night without any bad dreams. She woke up in the morning slightly disoriented until she remembered she was in Doctor Hardy's house. Judging by the amount of sunlight coming from the window, she decided it must have been somewhere around eight o'clock.

Her eyes were heavy with sleep, but she forced her mind awake. She glanced at the other bed in the room to find that Doctor Hardy was not there. In fact, he wasn't in the house at all. Jill was somewhat surprised that he had enough trust in her, a stranger _and _patient, to leave her alone without any supervision.

There was a problem, however. Jill had no idea how long it would be before Hardy came back, and until then she was stuck staring at the ceiling with nothing to do. She had already slept long enough, and she realized with slight concern that her rucksack was nowhere to be seen. Had Hardy stolen it?

It was at that moment that the door opened, and a blast of wind invaded the house. Hardy stepped through the door and hung his scarf on a hat rack, and then took off his winter boots. Jill found it slightly odd that he had decided to wear a scarf but no winter coat.

He suddenly noticed Jill was awake, and smiled at her. "Good morning, missy. How long have you been up?"

Jill found herself replying before thinking about it. "Um, maybe a minute. Not long at all."

Doctor Hardy chuckled a bit before saying, "Well, you certainly slept well, then, didn't you? I don't think you woke up once the entire night. You were snoring minutes after you finished dinner and then nothing woke you up after that. I even accidentally dropped some of my equipment on the floor and you still didn't wake up." He smiled again, and Jill found the corners of her mouth twitching a bit, as well. _This Doctor really knows how to make you comfortable, _Jill thought to herself. _My wounds feel fine, too, so he must be good. What's he doing in a small place like this? _

Before Jill could ask, Hardy continued, "I hope you don't mind, but I was doing some tidying up last night and I moved your rucksack to that hook on the door over there." He nodded his head at the door while saying this, and then went on, "Your wounds are looking pretty good, too. I put some local herbs from the area on the cuts that needed it. You didn't wake up for that, either. But anyway, you should be able to get moving tomorrow, which is a bit sooner than I expected. Until then, however, I'm worried you'll have to stay in this boring old house."

Jill shrugged, and replied, "It's fine. I'll just sleep or something."

Hardy nodded. "Are you hungry?"

"A bit, yeah."

"Do you like pancakes?"

Jill nodded, her mouth watering a bit at the thought of more delicious food.

"Okay, I'll make some for breakfast." Hardy walked over to the kitchen part of the house and pulled some ingredients from a cupboard. Jill's eyes flickered to the ceiling and back to Hardy again, trying to decide which would be less awkward to stare at while he was making her food.

"So, Pony...what's your family like?" He asked, trying to fill the awkward silence.

Jill swallowed a large lump in her throat. Gosh, she hated back-stories. Lies, lies, lies...she could tell the truth, of course, but it would still be a lie because they were all gone.

"Well..." Jill began, keeping her voice as steady as possible. "I have a mom. And a dad. And a younger brother. He's fifteen." _Was fifteen_, she thought. _And so far, so good. This isn't anything the organization doesn't already know. Hell, if they didn't know, they wouldn't have freaking killed them in the first place. _

"I have a younger brother, too," Hardy said. "I used to protect him so much. He's a lawyer in some big city. But I always preferred the country, so that's why I'm here. After all, this is a small town. Someonehas to take care of the people out here."

Jill nodded, satisfied with the reason for his location. He seemed honest, too, and that was good. But he could have also just been a master with disguises.

Hardy was halfway through making the pancakes when he asked another question. "What do your parents do for a living?"

The organization knew both of those facts, as well, so Jill knew she could tell something close to the truth. "Dad works as an engineer in the city, and mom is a vet." _And I was a former employee of Hawk's sick organization for selfish reasons and kind of in order to help support our family. But you don't need to know that. _

The Doctor hummed a bit as a reply, and then stayed quiet. Jill was grateful. After months of resisting the urge to speak openly to anyone, being social wasn't exactly her forte.

He eventually finished making the pancakes and served them to Jill, along with a fork and a glass of milk. Hardy cleared his throat, and then said, "If you'd excuse me, I need to run another short errand. Let's see...it's eight fifteen right now. I should be back sometime around nine."

"Okay," Jill replied quietly.

The Doctor nodded and then moved to the door and took his scarf off the hook on the wall. The same hook, Jill noted, that her rucksack was hanging on. She would retrieve that later. After a final glance at her, he left her alone in the small home once again.

• • •

Doctor Hardy was not convinced. He was not convinced at all by this Pony Ryder girl. There were too many bruises, too many scars that had been there for much longer than two days. Some of them were at least three years old. There was something other than a bear attack going on here, but he was almost scared to figure out what it was. Abuse? Maybe. But could it be something else? Something much, much worse? Hardy knew of worse things than abuse. And the scar on the girl's shoulder, which was the distinct mark of a bullet, told Hardy that Pony Ryder had probably been through these much worse things.

The walk to the Inn in Forget-Me-Not-Valley was a very short one. It was so short that, despite the cold weather, Hardy didn't even wear a coat. And he was a doctor. He should have been worried about catching a cold or something. But, at the moment, he was more concerned with the health of his newest patient than his own.

The Inn had the best telephone in the valley, and Hardy knew Ruby would let him use it for free. She was just that kind of person. When he entered the lobby, no one else was there, and he walked straight to the phone behind Ruby's desk. Hardy didn't particularly like phones; he preferred talking to people in person. The only reason he had one was so that the residents of the valley could call him for emergency house calls.

This, though not an emergency house call, was definitely an urgent call of sorts. Hardy quickly dialed the number that was engraved in his mind, and put the phone to his ear, listening as it rang, praying his comrade would pick up.

Finally, a feminine voice came through to the other line. "Hello and good morning. You've called Doctor Trent's office in Mineral Town. This is Ellie speaking."

"Ellie," Hardy grunted, "it's Hardy. I need to speak with Trent as soon as possible."

There was a pause on the other end. Hardy knew Ellie was trying to figure out why his voice was so husky and concerned. She eventually replied by saying, "Y-Yes, of course. Let me go get him for you."

There were only a few seconds of silence before Trent's voice came through on the other line. "Hello, Doctor Hardy."

"Come on now, Trent," Hardy said. "You aren't my student anymore, no need for formalities."

"Sorry, Michael," Trent chuckled. "Anyway, may I ask why you're calling so early in the morning?"

Hardy cleared his throat, and then said, "Listen...I got a new patient as of yesterday. She says her name is Pony Ryder, but...well, I think there's something really fishy going on here, let's just put it that way." He paused, and then continued in a hushed voice, "She came in unconscious and stayed that way for about five or six hours, so I had lots of time to check over her wounds. When she came to she explained she was in some sort of animal attack. But...well, there were scars all over her body that suggested she's seen animal attacks for the past three years. Heck, probably worse than that. And...what's more...I found a bullet scar on her shoulder." Hardy paused again, letting what he had said so far sink in. Then, he hastily continued, "I went through her rucksack late last night. She's carrying all sorts of stuff around with her. No ID, but...well, she's got a change of clothes, some bandages, a bit of cash, dry food, a journal, and a water bottle. She's on the run, Trent. She's not just hiking through the forest. She's running. Her shoes are worn out and her clothes are in awful condition. I'm surprised she hasn't gotten sick from exhaustion yet."

Trent didn't reply for a long time. In fact, he took so long that Hardy briefly wondered if their connection somehow got lost. That was when he finally heard Trent take a deep breath and ask, "Hardy...why are you telling me all of this?"

"Why do you think, Trent?" Hardy replied. "Come on, you're a smart kid. You should be, I taught you."

Trent laughed. It wasn't really a laugh, though; it was more of a bark. Two seconds later, his voice was down to a murmur again. "Do you mean to tell me that you think it's...her?"

Hardy took a deep breath, and eventually said, "Maybe. Don't get your hopes up. I didn't find the flash drive. And we can't go into this quickly, even if it is her. We need to figure out a way to get her to stay in Forget-Me-Not-Valley and win her trust. It will be slow, but we'll get her to crack eventually, I think. If it _is _her, of course."

"What about the journal?" Trent asked. "Did you read it?"

"I couldn't," Hardy replied. "It had a small lock on it and the key was no where to be found."

Trent sighed. He took another thirty seconds to reply. "Are you going to tell Griffin?"

"I was thinking about it," Hardy replied. "Though he hasn't been in the business as long as us."

"Maybe we should wait," Trent suggested, "until we know whether it's really her or not."

"That's what I was thinking," Hardy replied. Suddenly, he heard Ruby's doorknob rattle a bit. "Listen, Trent, I have to go. Right now. I promise I'll keep you updated, though. When spring comes you should really make a trip down here and I'll take you out to the bar for a drink. I'll talk to you later."

"Sure, Michael. Bye. Good luck, and everything."

Hardy hung up the phone just as Ruby opened the door and stepped into the lobby. Her hand flew to her chest, and her eyes widened. "Oh, Hardy! I didn't know you were here!"

"Oh, I apologize, Ruby," Hardy smiled sheepishly. "I just needed to use your phone to call a friend. It was some important business matters, but it turns out he's on vacation at the moment, so I wasn't able to reach him."

"That's unfortunate," Ruby frowned. "It is mighty cold out, though. Would you like something warm to drink before you head back home?"

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd be delighted by some coffee," the Doctor replied with a smile. Hardy liked Ruby. She was a bit...dull, sometimes, but when it came to cooking and hospitality she was easy to be around and talk to. He would be able to find some new recipe to discuss with her for a while. Plus, he had told Pony he'd be back at nine, and it was only eight thirty. He had time.

"Oh no, it's no trouble at all, Hardy," Ruby smiled. "Actually, I have a new recipe I've been dying to share with you. Please, join me in the kitchen."

"It's healthy, I hope?" Hardy asked as they walked to the other room.

"Oh, of course! There's only one stick of butter this time!"

Hardy laughed as he opened the door for the plump woman, and took a deep breath in through the nose. The discovery of Pony left a new hope in his heart, and life was beginning to look brighter. Now if only she could be the one they were actually looking for, maybe life could be perfect.

• • •

The day was fairly uneventful. When Hardy came back to his house only to find Pony sleeping, he decided to make some house calls even though it was cold and had started snowing outside again. This lasted until around three o'clock, by which time he had turned down four cups of coffee and two drinks from the Blue Bar, but had stayed to chat at every house.

Hardy was content in the valley. It was a nice place with nice people and, therefore, was a nice life. Much better compared to the life he lived before coming to the valley.

However, now that Pony Ryder had come to town, Hardy feared life was about to get a bit more...exciting. He wondered again whether or not he should just tell Griffin now instead of waiting. Griffin was the most sociable of the three who were involved. He would be able to warn the townspeople to start locking their doors at night without him sounding too insane.

It was about four o'clock by the time Hardy made it back to his house. He had stopped by the Harvest Goddess spring (which somehow never froze) to make a quick offering, and then started taking his time back to the house. The weather wasn't so bad, though maybe that was because he had gone numb to the cold a few hours ago. Maybe he _should _have brought his coat with him...

He opened the door to find Jill sitting up in bed, writing in the very journal he had been discussing with Trent that morning. She closed it slightly as soon as she caught sight of Hardy, but kept her finger in the page she had been recording information in. Hardy smiled a bit at her, and greeted, "Nice to see you sitting up. Sorry I'm back so late. I did some house calls, and assumed you would just sleep."

Jill nodded, and, without much thought, replied, "I spent most of the day sleeping, yes, and then I decided to write in my journal a bit."

Hardy nodded, and Jill watched him once again hang up his scarf on the doorknob. "You're lucky that didn't get soiled in the river," he commented, nodding at the journal.

"Yes, I suppose," she replied, not wanting to explain about her high-tech water-proof rucksack and the place that she got it from. That would be stupid.

Hardy pulled a chair up next to her, and Jill set the book back in her rucksack, which was sitting on the bed next to her. He scratched his head a bit, adjusted the collar on his shirt, and then said, "Well, there are some things we need to discuss, but I'd like to give you another check-up, first, if you don't mind."

Jill's heart stopped for a moment at the word "discuss," but she agreed to the check-up nonetheless. He brushed her hair aside and gently prodded her head wound. It was still tender, but Jill didn't flinch. Not expressing pain meant that Jill would be able to get out of here sooner. And the sooner she got out, the better off she and this whole valley would be.

Next, he checked some of the scrapes on her arms and legs, and then applied some ointment to a few that were still a bit red and swollen. It stung, but, again, she clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white and didn't say a word.

Once he was done, Hardy smiled a bit, closed the ointment tube, and said, "You're very tolerant of pain, Miss Pony."

Jill shrugged a little, and tried to come up with a reason. Most doctors just usually thought her wounds were healing quickly. So far, Hardy was proving to be much more intelligent than "most doctors." This fact made Jill rather uncomfortable, and she found herself wondering whether she was actually safe here or not. She was used to being the clever one, and she didn't want to be a step behind Hardy, or else she'd be dead in a heartbeat. Especially if he had any association with Hawk and the organization.

Before Jill could come up with a reply, however, Hardy said, "That's a very admirable skill. Anyway, I think you should stay in the valley for a week or two. I need to check on your wounds to make sure they've completely healed, and then you can go off on your hiking trip again. Unless you decide that you like it here." Hardy winked, which filled Jill with a pleasant warm feeling of safety she wasn't really familiar with, or at least hadn't felt in a long while. The actual message in his words, however, worried her. She couldn't stay here for a week. She couldn't stay here for another day. She opened her mouth to explain that the extra care wouldn't be necessary, but Hardy beat her to it yet again.

"Now, I don't mean to pry, but...how much money do you have with, you, Pony? Some of this ointment is very expensive, and you had many serious wounds. I can give you a small discount, but if I don't get something...well..." he trailed off, and Jill felt her stomach flip.

She didn't have much money at all. She had spent a large amount of it on her last doctor's trip. Jill, however, wasn't the type to steal or not return kindnesses. She had been in dark business for long enough, and she had promised herself that she would stay out of as much trouble as she could from here on out. But still, she couldn't afford to pay the bills, and she couldn't afford the time to stay here getting her wounds checked. Her brain dissected the choices: break a promise to herself and sacrifice her own morality, or stay here and possibly sacrifice her own life and the lives of those around her?

Eventually, she slowly replied, "I don't have much money at all, Hardy. I didn't really expect to get in a bear attack, as you can probably guess. But I don't think I can stay here that long, either. My parents were expecting me back home for a visit in a few days. I need to get traveling, and find a cheap way to get back home. Thank you for your, concern, though."

Hardy's gaze hardened a little, and he gave Jill a long look that made her feel a tad bit uncomfortable. Here was this seemingly nice man, suddenly giving her a single look that made her almost want to stay in the valley just to please him. Then, his eyes became sad, but Jill wasn't exactly sure why. Why would he be sad? Anger, frustration, disproval...any of those looks would have been understandable, but...sad?

"Now, Pony," he sighed, "I understand, but you've got to hear me out, missy. If your parents knew the condition your body is in, they wouldn't want you traveling. I don't want you traveling, either. You can certainly call them and tell them you won't be able to make it for this visit, but you'll be able to come as soon as possible. But if you leave now, well...I can't assure you that your body will be the same as it was before. I'm honestly surprised you survived that attack, Pony, and your body needs rest now more than ever."

This slowly started to make sense in Jill's brain. It had been months since she had escaped headquarters, and since then she hardly had any rest. She was constantly awake, not getting enough sleep, had some sort of wound, and most of all, she was always stressed. And that was just the physical piece.

Her thoughts were growing too noisy and her doubts too loud, and she didn't have the time to think properly anymore. It was as if she was becoming all instincts, a person just trying to survive, instead of a person trying to live. She had no relationships with anyone anymore, she hadn't had a proper, kind conversation with anyone in weeks. In fact, Jill couldn't even think of anyone she trusted at the moment. She was becoming too quick to analyze, too timid, and not...well, human.

It was all growing rather tiring, really, and she had noticed it before in corners of her mind. The state of her mental and emotional health was also dropping. But none of it had become crystal clear until now. She needed rest. She didn't want to become a robot or an animal or just a person. She needed to be, well, her. She needed a home, at least a temporary one.

Of course, Hardy probably hadn't noticed any of this, but it was all clear in Jill's mind now. Maybe she did need a break. Was Forget-Me-Not Valley the place to do it, though? Or was she making a terrible mistake?

_Goddess, please give me a sign,_ she prayed, and then looked up at Hardy again.

"Of course, after you finish resting, you can start working off your pay by doing some tasks for me," Hardy said. "It will all work out, you'll see. But I really do think you should stay here a while. With all this wandering around you've been doing, wouldn't it be nice to have a home for a season or so?"

_Home. _The word seemed hollow and empty. She didn't have a home. Her home had burned to the ground in a raging fire, and she had only been allowed to get a glimpse of the ashes.

But Jill stayed silent, still mulling the idea over in her head. Hadn't she been longing for a home just yesterday? Didn't she think to herself how nice it would be to have somewhere to stay permanently? Could she really find that place here? Hardy seemed nice enough, and Marlin was okay. After all, if Marlin had recognized her or been suspicious at all, he would have gone through her rucksack and turned her in immediately, or just let her die, not bring her here. So Marlin, at least, was trustworthy. And Doctor Hardy seemed to be, too. Though he was very convincing and persuasive in a dangerous kind of way, he also just seemed like one of those kind old guys that liked younger people because they reminded him of his grandkids.

Jill thought over each word before she said it. "I left my things in Mineral Town, so I don't have any clothes or food. And I don't have any money, either, so I can't pay anyone back for the things they give me or buy anything new. All I have is in that rucksack, and most of it is soiled."

Hardy chuckled, and replied, "Pony, everyone is friendly and generous in Forget-Me-Not Valley, and no one really cares about money. You'll notice we're a quaint little town, and we love visitors. No one's lived a good day until they've done something for someone who can never repay them. That's pretty much our town motto."

Jill's heart skipped a beat. Her mother used to say that phrase to her all the time. Was that a sign from the Goddess? Maybe she could find a home here. Or, at least, a place to rest until the organization found her again. She could stay until her debt was paid and she was feeling a little more human and less like a stiff robot, and if the pigs found her she'd leave early. If that happened she wouldn't be betraying her sense of morals, because she was putting the town in danger, anyway. Really, by leaving if the Pigs found her, she'd be doing a huge favor for the people who lived in Forget-Me-Not Valley.

"Ohhhh-kaaaaay." The word sounded slurred, almost like she was drunk, and she said it very slowly in case she wanted to take it back.

Hardy smiled, and replied, "Great. How about I make us a nice meal as a little celebration? Oh, and I can try and organize things so that you get to know the townspeople a bit and have meals at different family's houses. You'll want to meet Ruby and her family for sure; they're the innkeepers, real great bunch. Oh, and Vesta, Marlin, and Celia. I've been taking care of Marlin and Celia since they were real little. They've been working for Vesta since they were in their teens, I think." He got up to walk to the kitchen counters, and continued, "Muffy and Griffin are real great, too. They run the bar, which is really not far from here at all. A two minute walk, if that."

Hardy continued to ramble on about various town citizens, and Jill felt her stomach do a little flop. She wanted rest and to get a few relationships, but not this fast. This felt like she was being thrown into a social tornado that she had no place being in. She cleared her throat a little bit, and Hardy paused. She took the opportunity to say, "Hardy...um...maybe we should take it a little slower than that. You know, now that I think about it, I'm really not feeling as great as I thought I was."

"Oh, of course," Hardy chuckled, and put some spices in a frying pan. "Don't you worry, you'll have plenty of time to rest before there are too many introductions. I reckon you'll be able to walk around properly tomorrow, but we'll see if you're feeling well enough to actually get out of the house. Plus, it's still a wee bit cold outside."

Jill nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed. This was a side of Hardy she hadn't seen yet. He certainly seemed concerned for her mental, emotional, _and _physical health. He wasn't just a doctor anymore, he was more of...a parent figure, or something. That was a strange thought for Jill that brought some uncomfortable memories with it. She closed her eyes, and leaned back against the bed, grateful that Hardy had stopped talking for the time being. Jill used to be a talker. In fact, she was the girl that really liked meeting up with friends and just talking over a drink of hot coco at the local ski lodge. But that had been a long, long time ago. Now Jill wasn't exactly sure what kind of person she was. It was what she imagined going to war would be like. You go feeling young, and come back feeling old. Everyone else's problems suddenly seem so insignificant in the big scheme of things. She wasn't sure if she would be able to revert to her old self. Would people actually like the new her? Because not even _she _liked the new her. She wanted the old one back.

Then again, it wouldn't matter, anyway. She would only be staying for a season, if that, and then she'd be off again. But maybe she could learn to try and enjoy herself until then.

**A/N: **And the plot thickens... :) Much love to readers, even more love to reviewers. Have a great day, or night, depending on what time zone you live in and various other things. Hope you enjoyed. :)


	3. Chapter 3: Fish and Worm

**Chapter 3: Fish and Worm**

The evening went by quickly, and Jill was full of stir fry, baked yams, and chocolate cookies by the time she went to bed that night. Hardy stayed in for the rest of the evening, as well, and entertained her with some tales of his travels before he became a doctor. Apparently he had wanted to be a photographer, and had been on a hike taking some pictures of nature when he came across a mother wolf protecting her pups. That was when he lost his good eye. Thankfully, he survived the rest of his wounds, but his eye was never the same.

Jill was satisfied with this explanation, or maybe it was that she was too full and too comfortable to care whether it was legitimate or not. She later fell into another deep sleep during a tale about some sort of surgery he once had to perform with only a butter knife, and didn't wake up until around eight the next morning.

Once again, Hardy was nowhere in sight. Jill sighed, and then remembered she had never finished her journal entry last night, so at least she had something to do until he came back. She reached underneath the bed and felt around until she found her rucksack, and then pulled it up onto the mattress next to her. After a few seconds of digging around, she found the journal, which she had buried deep in the contents so Hardy wouldn't see it and get any ideas while she was sleeping. Then, she grabbed the key that hung from her necklace, undid the lock, and opened it to her previous entry:

_27 Winter_

_I passed out again yesterday. A man named Marlin found me, and brought me to Doctor Hardy. He seems trustworthy enough, but I'm keeping my eyes and brain open and working still. It's been a while since my last entry. I just finished my longest chase with the Pigs yet. They just didn't seem to want to give up. I came out of it with a pretty major head wound and some typical scratches, but other than that I'm doing okay, just a little tired. My next idea is to get as far away from here as possible, so I'll probably leave sometime tomorrow. _

Jill scratched her head a bit, and then wrote down a new date and some new words.

_28 Winter_

_Hardy has convinced me to stay in Forget-Me-Not Valley for a while. If the Pigs find me, though, I'm leaving. I'll only stay for a season, long enough to make connections but no ties. I just want to start feeling like a somewhat normal human again, and then I'll leave. Maybe being in one place will even throw the Pigs off, but I can't get my hopes too high. Until next time. _

Satisfied with the short but to-the-point entry, Jill closed the journal, locked it with the key, and then tucked the necklace underneath her ripped-up shirt again. She always kept the key around her neck, because everything she had worked for in the past year was in that journal. Every secret, every experience, and, most importantly, the thing that had triggered it all: the flash drive. Early on in the chase she had cut out a square of leather and paper from the front of the notebook, and the flashdrive, the one that had nearly killed her, was tucked away there, hidden from all others who didn't know the secret and didn't have the key.

Jill shook her head to clear her thoughts. She didn't want to think about the flashdrive, and she certainly didn't want to think much about anything before the flashdrive, either.

As soon as Jill shoved the notebook back into her rucksack, the door opened, and in stepped Hardy with a yellow plastic bag with a somewhat familiar logo on it. It took Jill a few seconds to realize that it was full of clothing from one of her favorite places to shop. Well, at least in the old days.

"Morning, miss Pony," Hardy chuckled. "You look like you slept well, judging by your bed head."

Jill smiled shyly and ran a hand through her hair. It had been at least a week since her last dip in the creek, so maybe it wasn't just bed head making her look so rough. She'd have to ask Hardy about someplace to take a bath...

"I bought you some new clothes," he continued, and put the bag on the bed. "I don't really know your fashion tastes, so I can always take them back, but I asked Muffy, a local around here, for some tips, and she suggested this store."

The bag contained a pair of black sweatpants, a blue sweatshirt, five different colored t-shirts, a pair of jeans, two pairs of jean shorts, three tank tops, socks, new shoes, and, much to Jill's embarrassment, some undergarments. Jill was too shocked at Hardy's generosity to even say anything at first. A new outfit was one thing, but this basically replenished her wardrobe. She wouldn't even be able to bring all of it with her once she left, unless she brought a whole suitcase along. She felt something strange rise up in her throat, and swallowed immediately, not quite used to the feeling of getting choked up.

"Thank...thank you very much, Doctor Hardy. This is plenty, and it's all wonderful...really, no returns will be necessary at all...this is...well, thank you so much." She wasn't exactly sure how to say anything other than that, but she hoped Hardy understood her appreciation.

Hardy smiled a bit, and replied, "Consider it a token of my appreciation for being such a great patient." He winked at her, and continued, "I figured that you probably wouldn't want to head back to Mineral Town to get your things, and any clothes you had in your rucksack were probably soiled or just extras."

Jill nodded, still marveling over the new clothes. How long had it been since she had new clothes? A few months, at the very least. She could imagine the warmth of the new sweatshirt just looking at it.

Hardy chuckled. It was hard not to notice the girl's astonishment over the new wardrobe. It hadn't even cost that much, as he was a smart shopper, but if he knew she would react like this he would have gotten her even more, just to see her smile a little wider. Poor thing had probably been through hell the past year and a half.

"Speaking of being such a great patient," Hardy eventually said, "how are you feeling this morning?"

Jill shrugged, began putting things back in the bag, and then said, "Alright. A shower would be really nice, though. Falling in a river isn't exactly the cleanliest thing to have happen to you, along with the bear attack and everything. And some food. I only woke up just a bit ago."

"I'll make some pancakes," Hardy said, walking toward the kitchen, "and I can arrange that you take a shower at the Inn. The river's too cold for you to take a bath outside, and Ruby lets anyone use a shower for free, so long as they check with her before doing so. Just to make sure no two people try to take a shower at the same time."

Jill knew he was smiling, even though his back was turned toward her. Jill smiled a bit, too, and found herself relaxing a little more than usual. The thought of a warm shower, an actual _shower, _was a pretty lovely thing to think about. She was feeling better already just thinking about it.

Her mind drifted to what kind of work she'd be doing for Hardy in order to earn her keep. What did doctors order their nurses to do? Maybe he'd assign her to find some of the herbs he liked to use on people's cuts. But could she even find them this late in winter? Maybe he'd make her tag along on some house calls, or assist him in surgeries, like the nurses in those movies. Then again, Jill was pretty sure that there wasn't often need for surgeries in this town. It seemed to be pretty small, from what Hardy had told her about so far.

Neither of them spoke until Hardy finished breakfast. Instead of bringing it to her bed like usual, he set both plates down on the table. "Let's see how well you can walk," Hardy explained after noticing Jill's curious expression.

She nodded, sat up, and then swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She could feel the aching soreness in her muscles as soon as she put pressure on her feet, but it wasn't too unbearable. Gradually, her top half left the bed, and then her bottom half, until she was standing.

"Nice and easy now," Hardy murmured. "You might feel a bit dizzy at first."

Jill nodded again, already feeling the familiar blur in her brain. She took a step, waited a few seconds for the stars to go away, and then took another few steps, being careful not to stumble on the patient robe that she had put on over her torn up clothes the previous night. Hardy pulled out her chair for her, and she plopped down less than gracefully after the last few steps.

"That's good!" Hardy smiled, and sat across from her. "You did very well, Pony. You're recovering much faster than I thought you would."

Jill nodded, and then put a forkful of pancakes into her mouth. Hardy had added strawberries to the side this time, and a glass of milk sat to the right of the plate, along with a napkin. Jill, suddenly feeling self-conscience about her appearance for the first time in months, wiped her mouth after almost every bite, worried that she had lost her etiquette skills along with her emotions and human-y-ness. _If that's even a word, _she thought, smiling a bit to herself.

"Right," Hardy pushed his plate forward. Jill's eyes widened only slightly when she saw that he had already finished the entire meal. "I'll go talk to Ruby about showering while you finish that up. I ought to be back in about ten minutes. It really shouldn't take that long." He grabbed his scarf, and then, just like that, was out the door, leaving Jill to her own thoughts for a few minutes. Well, and her food. Food was good, too.

She suddenly realized what a good mood she was in that morning. It had been a while since she had felt this good. Probably the last time was when she had received word from Jack that he was still doing well, and that had been a few months ago when she had stopped by her house (well, what remained of it) specifically for that reason. It had been a miracle that the letter hadn't been intercepted by the organization and used against her in any way, but the returning to her home had been extremely dangerous, so she was eternally grateful to the Goddess it had been worth it.

Jill shuddered as thoughts of her life began to seep in through the cracks of her brain, and decided to focus on other things. It would be a long time before Jill would be able to go a few moments without thinking about the organization...if it ever happened at all.

In the mean time, certain instincts were beginning to come back to Jill, some that she had buried deep within herself. The overall messiness of the house was beginning to get to her, as Jill had been a bit of a neat freak, but she didn't want Hardy to think she was going through his stuff, so she settled with simply clearing off the table and doing the dishes, instead. Things in her mind suddenly were popping up all over the place, resurfacing, breaking through the ice they had been trapped in for so long. How to make jokes, how to be kind, how to be polite, how to be cleanly, and, most important, how to act, well, human. The realizations were a little vague, and she still felt out of practice and numb to the outside world and her emotions (other than fear and anger), but she supposed that certain wires would connect in her head again once she was actually socializing and outside in the real world again. Hopefully a season would be enough to do so.

Washing the dishes proved to be a little more difficult than she thought, because she couldn't find any dish soap for the first five minutes, and the constant movement was making her a little dizzy, but it was good practice for when she would have to stand up in the shower later.

Still, the distant threat of the Pigs finding her lingered in her mind, but she would not think about that unless absolutely necessary.

Hardy stomped in through the door just as Jill was drying the last plate from their past three meals, and Jill looked over her shoulder to look through to the outside world. It had snowed again last night, judging by the amount of white that dusted the ground, but the sky this morning was clear and promising.

"Are you...doing dishes?" Hardy asked, the hint of a chuckle in his voice as he hung up his scarf again.

Jill smiled a little and nodded as she put the last dish in the cupboard. "I figured I might as well start work as soon as I can."

"That isn't necessary," Hardy said, "but I can't say it's not appreciated. Thank you." He smiled that old-man smile again, and then continued, "I spoke to Ruby, and she said that you can come over whenever you want. Are you feeling up to it right now?"

Jill shrugged. "Sure." She walked slowly over to the bed, picked up the yellow shopping bag and her rucksack, and then began moving toward the door with Hardy. This time, he didn't take his scarf. Jill shot him a concerned look, and nodded at his clothing.

"It's not that cold out," Hardy chuckled. "Besides, I could say the same to you, Pony."

She felt her cheeks get a bit red from embarrassment, but pushed the feeling away. Hardy opened the door for her and gestured for her to walk through. She nodded, and took a step out into the world that she hadn't seen for about three days.

The fresh air felt glorious in her lungs. She couldn't stop taking big, happy breaths at first, and then she realized that she was blocking the doorway, and Hardy couldn't step out. Even more embarrassed, Jill stepped aside, and let Hardy lead the way to the Inn instead of trying to find it herself.

She couldn't help looking around, halfway nervous and halfway eager, to see what the rest of the valley was like. They were walking along a brick road that had only a light blanket of snow on it, and behind them, back by Hardy's house, were two other brick houses. The brick road kept going up a hill until she couldn't see through some pine trees. On the other side of the road and a little way back was what Jill assumed was the bar, and in front of them, the other direction, was a large building that, Jill guessed was the Inn. In the distance there were many dirt paths that lead to various areas she couldn't see through the trees, but she decided there must have been more residents or even shops tucked away in parts of the valley.

By the time she had finally soaked in the environment around her, they had reached the front entrance of the Inn. It was a large building made of wood, and she could tell it was old because the façade was cracking and turning a faded brown. Still, the building had a lot of charm, and a glowing yellow light came in through each window. The glow reflected off of the snow like beams of sunlight, and Jill smiled a bit at the feeling of warmth that radiated from the building.

Hardy led her under the Inn's awning, and commented, "Ruby is very good at making her guests feel welcome. If anyone was ever made to run an Inn, it would be Ruby. Not to mention her impeccable cooking abilities."

Jill smiled a little. _More food? _She thought. _I'm going to get really fat. That's no good. _Somehow, though, she didn't really mind.

Hardy opened the door, and Jill walked inside. The inside of the Inn was just as lovely as the outside: ply wood walls and floor, and a counter in the back-center of the room. Behind the counter were some build-ins that looked like they were made of bamboo, of all things. To her right was a staircase, and two doors that probably led to the kitchen and something else were on the back wall. To create a lovely atmosphere, pictures of beautiful sunsets and mountains hung on the wall, and exotic plants stood proudly in each corner of the room.

"This is beautiful," Jill said. "How does she manage to keep it so clean?"

"I have no idea," Hardy chuckled. "Especially because her lazy son Rock doesn't do a single thing to help. But don't tell anyone I said that." He winked at her again, and Jill felt herself smile without even thinking about it.

It was at that moment that a plump, short woman with black hair rushed into the room from the door Jill had assumed was the kitchen. A flour-dusted apron covered her red and yellow clothing, but Jill could immediately see that this woman was exactly the woman that Hardy had described. Her smile was gentle but radiant, and Jill couldn't help but want to smile back.

"I'm sorry I wasn't in to see you immediately," she said a little breathlessly. "I've been working on a new type of curry, and I didn't want it to burn." Ruby walked over to the pair, ran a quick eye over Jill, and gushed, "You must be Pony. Hardy told me he had a guest, he didn't tell me she was pretty!" She then proceeded to say in a more hushed voice, "Just stay away from my son Rock. Believe me, it's for your own good." Ruby laughed a hearty, motherly laugh, and Jill, again, couldn't help but smile. This woman wasn't just a fake mother. She was a _real _mother, one that genuinely cared about everyone. Jill could see this right away, and it made her miss her own mother for just a second. But that was a painful thought, so she quickly ushered it back into the depths of her mind.

Ruby turned to Hardy, and said, "I've got some coffee, tea, and hot chocolate going in the kitchen. You can choose what you want to drink. I'll show Jill the shower room, and get her all set up with some toiletries, and we'll be back in a jiff, okay?"

Hardy nodded. "Thanks, Ruby. It's much appreciated, what you're doing."

"You're welcome," Ruby smiled. She then put a hand on Jill's back and gently guided her toward the bamboo build-ins behind the counter. As Ruby pulled out a few drawers and gathered some basic toiletries, she explained, "I always have some extra on hand, in case a guest forgets them. Hardy informed me of your situation." She frowned and looked at Jill, and then said, "I'm so sorry, dear. It must have been terrifying."

Jill felt a stab of guilt, because she knew Ruby was referring to her made-up bear attack, but nonetheless, she nodded. "It was kind of scary, yeah," Jill replied.

Then they were walking again, toward the door on the left. It was indeed a bathroom. Nothing too fancy, but not unsanitary, either, just like the lobby. Ruby handed her the supplies: toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, a hairbrush, and some hair ties.

Ruby gestured toward the shower, and said, "Pull out the knob to get the water going, turn to the left for hot water, and to the right for cold water. The rest is pretty self-explanatory. When you're done, just push in the knob, and the shower will turn off. I see you have clothes," Ruby nodded toward the yellow bag and Jill's rucksack, "and there's a towel and a washcloth hanging on the hook on the back of this door."

Jill quickly processed this information, and then said, "Okay. Thank you very much, Ruby. Really, it means so much to me."

"It's no trouble, dear," Ruby smiled. "Oh, and there will be a second breakfast waiting for you once you're done, but feel free to take your time!"

With that, she was out the door, leaving Jill to try and process everything she had just learned in a matter of maybe seven minutes. Oh, and clean up. Cleaning up was going to be necessary, too.

• • •

About half an hour later, Jill was feeling the best she had felt since this whole thing started. She hadn't taken an actual shower for weeks, as she had grown accustomed to bathing in streams, and only when she had time. Her hair was tied back up in its signature ponytail, and she was feeling clean and squeaky. The clothes Hardy bought fit her perfectly, and some color was returning to her cheeks. Even her mouth felt cleaner, and she had shaved for the first time in a long while, too. After checking herself over in the mirror, she was almost unrecognizable. Her scars and wounds were still present, of course, but her body itself was cleaner, and her soul was happy.

After showering, Jill had joined Hardy and Ruby in the kitchen for a meeting of sorts. They had been planning ways that Jill could earn her keep and houses she could stay at during the season, and they would start tomorrow, as long as she was ready. Jill explained that she was feeling great after the cleanup, and had gotten fairly used to standing and moving around, so she would be more than happy to start the next day.

Hardy noted the change in her attitude, and was feeling very happy that Jill seemed to be doing so much better this morning. He almost regretted what he knew he'd have to ask of her in seasons to come. But at least she could enjoy herself until then.

The day went by fairly easily, and the only other person Jill met was Rock, who, indeed, was a little strange and seemed something like a play-boy, but he was decent enough. He had come down from his room to complain that his white socks had turned pink and how this clashed with his hair, until he realized Jill was standing there listening to the entire conversation, at which point he introduced himself semi-politely and then bounded back up the stairs to his room. Hardy and Ruby shook their heads at this exchange, and then went back to telling Jill little bits and pieces about the villagers and places in town. Everyone seemed so nice from their descriptions that Jill was wondering if she had dreamt the whole experience up and had actually drowned in that river and was still in a coma. A little unlikely, but still, she couldn't help but feel nervous.

Jill and Hardy went back to Hardy's place at around two o'clock, at which point Jill fell asleep on her bed rather quickly. Hardy watched her rest with an observant eye. She seemed happy. That was good. But he was really starting to dread and worry over things to come. He needed to talk to someone and explain what was going on. Could he sneak over to the bar and discuss things with Griffin before Pony woke up? But that probably wouldn't accomplish anything; after all, Griffin didn't need to be brought into this so soon. He hadn't been through the same things that Hardy and Trent had gone through, he didn't need to carry the burden. At least, not yet. But maybe soon.

Hardy settled with mulling over his thoughts while preparing some more herb concoctions. Maybe thinking things through would keep him sane a little longer. Besides, life in the valley wasn't going to stand still and wait for Pony to leave. If anything, life was about to become a lot quicker paced, and in case any...accidents, happened, he would need to have his doctoral equipment ready.

And so, he set to it, while Jill continued to sleep for a few hours. As she slept, she dreamt of something very different than her previous dreams. It was a happy dream, one of brightly colored flowers and lots of plants, with crops growing on the vines, and then there was a field, a huge, huge field, with animals grazing on the grass. A small, cozy house stood at the front of the field, and a barn and coop stood at the very back. And there she was, right in the middle of all of it, smiling in a way she hadn't smiled in a long time, laughing, and waving to someone whose face she couldn't quite identify, but she knew it was someone that she loved very much and wanted to share home with. Home. What a good feeling it was.

The dream ended when the sun set and the animals went inside, and Jill woke up at this point, looking around a little frantically only to realize that she was still in Hardy's house.

"It's around six o'clock," Hardy said, answering her unspoken question. "I've already got dinner on the stove, so you can eat, and then you may want to rest some more." He smiled, and continued, "You've got a big day tomorrow. Excited?"

Filled with a new light from the whole day and her dream, Jill smiled and nodded. "Yeah," she answered. "Very."

• • •

Hawk was not pleased. Not pleased at all.

"What do you mean, you _lost _her?" he growled.

Hawk, Kyle, and Thomas were all in Hawk's office, along with two body guards that had been commanded not to speak. He had called the two maggots down for a late-night meeting, so that no one knew the results of their mission except Hawk. No one needed to know that Hawk was losing this battle; no one needed to be inspired by Jill Knight's escape. No one dared talk about her inside these walls. She had betrayed them. All of them. And for that she would pay a hefty fee. Considering, of course, that they ever caught her.

Kyle was the first one to speak. Hawk eyed his stomach, which was as big as ever. You'd think that with all the running those two did, Kyle would lose a little weight and maybe be as thin as Thomas, but no, he ate more than anyone in the entire organization and wasted himself with alcohol almost every night at the basement bar.

"We almost got her," Kyle explained, his voice thick with anger, "an' then she disappeared. Like the Goddess herself swooped down from the sky and picked 'er up. I dunno where she went."

Hawk drummed his fingers on the desk, and used his other hand to rub his chin, deep in thought. Then, he turned to Thomas, the scrawny one. He was quiet most of the time, but also smart, and Hawk knew he wouldn't serve in the organization if it weren't for the fact that his family was in debt to Hawk, like a good portion of his agents were.

"Thomas," Hawk sighed, "Where do you think she would have gone had she found a spot safe enough to hide until you two ran away?"

Thomas hesitated, not really wanting to answer the question, but knowing he had no choice. "Probably one of the nearby towns," he answered. "Like, Mineral Town, or Forget-Me-Not Valley, or maybe she backtracked further and went to Kingsly. But who knows. She's pretty sly, and pretty clever, so she could be anywhere by now."

"Yes," Hawk hummed. "Yes, I suppose you're right, she could be anywhere."

Hawk thought for a few more moments, leaving the two agents to worry about their mistake. This cat and mouse game obviously wasn't working. The girl was too quick, too clever, too...evil, in a good kind of way. Hawk had trained her too well, she had outsmarted him, he hadn't kept a good enough hold on her. She didn't even have the physical skill of most of his workers, but she was one of the most quick-thinking and clever agents he had ever had. Maybe it was time to try a different approach. Maybe it was time to stop playing cat and mouse, and start playing fish and worm.

Hawk's lips curved up into a sickening smile, one that Thomas and Kyle knew very well. He had a new idea.

"Thomas, Kyle, leave. You're dismissed. I'll keep you for another mission, just don't mess up next time." They left in a hurry after that, before Hawk had time to change his mind.

Next, Hawk grabbed the sleek black phone that rested on his glass desk, and punched in a few numbers that were written on a sticky note nearby. If this didn't work, then he didn't know what would.

• • •

**A/N**: Ahh, foreshadowing. How I love thee. :)


	4. Chapter 4: Introductions

**A/N: **I definitely finished this like a week ago, but got too lazy to edit it...Anyway,Most of it is introduction, but at the end our favorite thief pops in for a visit. Bear with me. :)

**Chapter 4: Introductions**

The next morning, the pair woke up around eight in the morning, and, after some breakfast, Hardy recited to Jill the final schedule he and Ruby had composed after yesterday's 'meeting.'

"Today," he started, "you'll meet a lot of the townspeople, or at least see their houses. We're going to start by heading to Vesta's farm, where you'll get together with Celia. I have a feeling you'll like her. She's going to give you a tour around Forget-Me-Not Valley, and I'll have a chat with Vesta about you working on her farm while you're here. Muffy, who works with Griffin at the Blue Bar, might join you two. We'll meet back up at Vesta's for dinner at around five, and then you can rest. Tomorrow, if all goes as planned, you'll be moving in to Vesta's house, and you'll work there for a good week, if you feel like you can manage. The work will be light at first, but when Spring hits you ought to be feeling well enough to help them plant a new round of plants. You'll be earning your keep at Vesta's as well as enough money to pay me back for my services, _and _some money so that you can travel back home once the season is up. If you save up, you might even be left with some profit." Hardy met eyes with Jill to see that she was smiling slightly.

She took a sip of hot chocolate, and then replied, "Thank you so much, Hardy. This is more than I could ever ask for. All this arranging you've been doing, helping me and whatnot, it's absolutely wonderful. Thank you very much."

Hardy nodded and smiled. "It's no problem, really. Just try not to get in any bear attacks, okay?"

Jill giggled a little, and after that they headed out the door, Jill taking the sweatshirt Hardy had bought for her yesterday, and Hardy taking his trademark red and black scarf.

The air outside was a little warmer than the day before, but the ground was muddy and wet from melted snow, so Jill and Hardy tried their best to stay on the brick path until they came to the bridge that went across the river. Jill vaguely remembered this part of the valley, but it was all a little fuzzy.

Hardy suddenly pointed to a path that went through some trees, and said in a quiet voice so not to disturb the nature, "If you take that path, you'll reach the Goddess Spring. It's rather beautiful there. I like spending free time just gazing into the waters, and sometimes making offerings." He glanced back, and continued, "Only if you believe in that kind of thing, of course."

Jill thought about her reply for a moment, and then said, "Yes, I do believe in the Goddess. It sounds lovely. I'll go check it out, or maybe Celia will take me up there."

Hardy simply hummed as a reply, and they continued to cross the wooden bridge. Jill felt herself tense up a bit. This must have been about where she fell in the water. Thank the Goddess Marlin had seen her, or else she had no idea what would have happened.

She let out a little sigh of relief once she was past the river, hoping that Hardy hadn't heard. Even if her goal was to become more human, she still had her guard up. No need to let anyone know her weaknesses.

Jill then realized that they were approaching a rather large farm. She had seen it before, of course, but the first time she hadn't exactly paid much attention to it. Now she was able to grasp just how large and professional it looked. Two medium-sized buildings stood side-by-side, and next to them were two big greenhouses. Through the heavy plastic material Jill could see green, blurry objects that she assumed were plants, surviving despite the winter chill. _Then again, that's what greenhouses are for, _she thought. The structures were contained behind a short picket fence, which, in all reality, wouldn't protect anything well at all, but it did look nice. Across from all of this was what Jill assumed was a field, but it was covered in snow, so she wasn't exactly sure. About four or five windmills spun gently in the breeze next to the farm, giving it an overall pleasant ambience.

"Vesta's very good with crops," Hardy explained. "She makes a lot of money selling her produce to gourmet restaurants. It's the finest quality."

At this point they had reached the door to the first building. Hardy raised a hand to knock, and seconds later the door opened, and there was the grouchy reincarnation of Elvis himself.

"Good morning, Marlin," Hardy greeted, his face bright and happy. "Vesta told you we were coming, I presume."

Marlin nodded curtly. Jill noted that his nose was a little red, and he sniffled a bit before he opened the door. _Has he been crying? _Jill wondered. _Strange. Marlin doesn't seem the type to cry. Then again, I've only known him for a few days, so I can't judge. _

The inside of the home reminded Jill much of Hardy's one room house, only it was a little bigger and kind of separated by a staircase in the middle. To the left of the staircase was a kitchen-dining room area. A girl in a pretty green dress with brown hair stood leaning over the sink, washing plates, pots, and pans. The kitchen area was fairly small, and Jill wondered how they managed to fit all their kitchen utensils in such tiny cabinets.

In the other half of the area was a large table with six chairs set up around it. A decorative striped rug was under the table, probably to prevent the chairs from scuffing up the floor. A vase with fresh flowers stood tall as the centerpiece, and this also made Jill curious until she remembered that they had a greenhouse, so they had access to fresh flowers in the winter.

To the right of the staircase was a sleeping area with two beds, one larger than the other, and some cabinets with drawers that probably contained clothes. Jill took a deep breath in and smelled something like warm apple cider, and something cinnamon-y. Her mouth watered despite the fact that she had finished breakfast less than ten minutes ago. The house was just as cozy feeling as the Inn, and Jill wondered if this is what all of the places in the valley were like.

Marlin took a place at the table, and a hefty woman with wiry orange hair, probably Vesta, was already seated next to him. At the sight of Jill and Hardy, however, she stood and walked over to greet the pair.

"Hardy!" she exclaimed, her voice big and somehow kind at the same time, "Thanks for coming by! We've all been really excited to see just who Marlin saved." She looked down at Jill and smiled. "It's great to see that you're doing better. Marlin said you were pretty beat up after falling in the river. Anyway, I'm Vesta." she stuck out a large, calloused hand for Jill to shake. Her grip was strong, and Jill liked this. Good people always had strong handshakes.

"You already know Marlin," she went on, "and that's my niece, Celia, over there in the kitchen. We made her do the dishes this morning."

Celia looked over her shoulder and smiled shyly. "Hi, Pony. I'll be out in a second, Vesta. I've got a few more dishes." Her voice was gentle and a little quiet, but she seemed like one of those genuinely nice girls, which can be a rare person to come across in the world.

Vesta and Hardy chatted about something going on in Mineral Town while Celia finished up the dishes. Jill stood, feeling a little awkward, but sometimes that happened when meeting new people. She listened politely, though, and smiled at certain parts of the conversation. It was then that she noticed Marlin sniffling again, and Jill couldn't help but glance at him. He was staring at her, which made her squirm a bit, so she turned away again.

"Still got that cold, Marlin?" Hardy asked. Marlin simply nodded in reply.

_Oh, _Jill thought, _it's a cold. I probably gave it to him, too. Jumping into a river in the middle of winter isn't exactly the healthiest thing ever. _

She suddenly felt a new appreciation for Marlin (he had, after all, saved her life), and wanted to catch his eye so she could smile at him, but he didn't look back in her direction. Eventually, Celia finished with the dishes, and came to join them by the entrance of the house. She was now wearing a puffy gray jacket along with her dress.

"Well," she started, "I'm ready if you are."

Jill smiled, and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

After some goodbyes to the older adults and Marlin, Celia and Jill stepped back out into the chilly world outside.

"So," Celia started. "Your name's Pony, right?"

Jill's first reflex was to correct her and say it was actually Jill, but then she realized she still had a cover to keep. "Yeah," she eventually responded. "Pony Ryder. And you're Celia?" Celia nodded, and Jill continued, "I like your dress. It's pretty."

Celia giggled, and replied, "It's a little inconvenient in the winter time, but I like to wear it when planting crops and stuff. It's a lot more mobile than you'd think."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence for the next thirty seconds as the pair walked back toward the bridge, and Jill tried to memorize the area for later so that she wouldn't get lost. Celia then began to explain the route they would take: she thought it would be better to show Jill the more Northern part of the valley first, and then they could tour around the southern part and the mine, which was a little out of the way compared to everything else. They would swing by the Blue Bar for lunch, where they would pick up Muffy, who was apparently one of Celia's best friends.

"Well, really," Celia explained, "there's only five or six girls our age in the valley, and we all get along quite nicely. It's not like high school, where there were groups of friends and every group had the mean girl. Of course, I spend more time with Muffy than the others, but that doesn't mean I don't love a big girl gathering now and then." They were well across the bridge at this point, and Celia pointed to the same path Hardy had earlier. "Up there is the Goddess Spring. Hardy probably told you about it, because he visits a lot, too. Most people make the trip once a week, or something. It can get kind of busy. I like to go in the evening because it's quiet and not many people are there, so if you want some time to yourself, that's when I'd suggest going."

Jill nodded, grateful for this information. Celia, so far, was proving to be extremely informed and good at explaining things.

They started walking toward, what Jill assumed was part of the Northern part of the valley, when she noticed a new path she hadn't seen before. It was tucked away in the trees and bushes.

"Where does that go?" she asked, nodding at the path.

"Oh, there used to be an old farmer that lived up there," Celia explained. "I think his name was Bill, but I was only six when he passed on, so I don't remember him too well. He was great, but most of the buildings on the farm have deteriorated and the field is overgrown. We could clean it up, of course, it's just no one has really wanted the job yet. Some people just don't realize how great living in this valley is, so they skip the ad in the newspaper." She smiled, and continued, "Anyway, Hardy said you've been to the Inn, so we'll skip going inside, but that's where Rock, Ruby, and Nami live. Nami stays as a guest, but Rock is Ruby's son. Sometimes people from Mineral Town or other places come to visit, too, and they stay in the extra rooms. My other best friend Karen, for example, comes to visit on Tuesdays, and she likes Ruby's cooking a lot, so she stays there."

They passed the Inn, and walked toward the part of town Jill had never been in before. A small building made of gray bricks was to the left, and the other brick houses that looked like Hardy's were to the right.

"That," Celia explained, pointing to gray brick building, "is the bar. Muffy lives there with Griffin, the barkeeper. She works as a waitress of sorts and sometimes helps makes drinks." Celia giggled, and continued, "But, to be perfectly honest, she's not very good at it."

Jill smiled, already knowing what type of character Muffy was going to be. "Are they...together? Muffy and the bartender, I mean."

"Oh, no," Celia sighed, "but sometimes I believe they should be. Muffy's a little older than the rest of us, but you wouldn't believe it if you saw her. She's gorgeous. And Griffin's a little older, too, so I think it would work. Not to mention they are best friends. I mentioned the possibility to her once, and she only laughed, though I don't understand why. Muffy is very...romantic. She's kind of like a princess in real life, but not the snobby kind. She just wants a happy ending with a nice husband. Griffin could be that nice husband, but she just doesn't see it, I suppose."

"Maybe someday," Jill replied.

"Yes," Celia said, a little hope in her voice. "Anyway, we'll skip the bar for now. The houses right there," she pointed to the right, "is where Chris and her family live. You'll probably meet them eventually; they're outside a lot. And the one in the middle is where Grant and Kate live. Grant works in the city, and Kate is his daughter."

Jill hummed in response. They continued their walk along the road until it opened up to a large outdoor stairway. Following the path of the stairs with her eyes, she realized that a huge mansion stood at the top. It was made of pretty brown bricks, and what looked like a big fountain spouted water in the middle of the courtyard.

"That's where Lumina lives, along with her grandmother, Romana, and their butler, Sebastian. Lumina's really nice, and pretty smart. Well, we're all pretty smart, but she's the smartest of all of us, and also the youngest." With a small smile, she continued, "She's had a crush on Rock since she was a little kid, though, so I don't doubt now that she's eighteen that they'll get together soon."

Jill smiled as well, amused with the idea. Lumina, the smart bookworm, with Rock, the hippie-dressed play-boy? _Goddess, _she thought, _what a weird couple. _

They started walking away from the mansion, further south than before.

"So," Celia started, "where are you from, Pony?"

Backstories. Goddess, she hated backstories.

"Up North," Jill responded. "I used to live with my parents. I've been looking around for a place of my own lately, though."

Celia made a humming noise as a response, and then replied, "I've been with Vesta for a while now. My parents live in the city, but...well, I get sick a lot and the air there made it worse, so they wanted me to find a job somewhere out here."

Jill tried to think of something appropriate to say. Eventually, she decided on the cliché, "You must miss them a lot."

Celia shrugged. "I did, at first. But I go see them around the Starry Night festival most years, and I can visit whenever I want. Plus, Vesta is a lot like a mother to me, and I like her a lot. I have friends here, and I love this valley. Life is good."

Jill nodded, waiting to be questioned more about her own life. She was surprised when Celia refrained from asking anything more; after all, the girl had just divulged her own life story to Jill.

_How can she be so trusting? _Jill wondered.

By this point they had arrived at a small building with weird metal things outside of it, and a wire fence surrounding the plot of land.

"This is where Daryl lives," Celia explained. "He's kind of...well...weird. He's a scientist. I don't talk to him much, but I've heard he's okay, once you get past his obsession with cow cloning." She smiled, and Jill realized she was joking, so she smiled a bit, too.

Celia then pointed to something that looked like a cross between a water tower and a house, and continued, "That's where Kasey and Patrick live. They're really great firework makers. Muffy says they're really nice, and funny to tease when they're drunk. She only knows this, of course, because she works at the bar."

Jill took a moment to observe the property. A bit like Darly's house, it was marked territory, but instead of a wire fence the area was surrounded by a wall of brick. On the other side of the wall was dirt instead of grass, and random barrels and crates labeled with unknown contents littered the ground. Weeds grew here and there, and Jill wondered why the outside wasn't better taken care of like the other houses in the valley. Then again, if they came home drunk some nights, that might explain it.

They continued walking south until they reached yet another strange looking lot. The ground had been covered by various slabs of metal, and something that looked like a mix between a toaster and a trailer was in the middle. What was it with these people and fusing things with houses?

"This is Cody's house," Celia explained quietly. "I don't really know him that well, because he likes to keep to himself, but he comes to the spring sometimes and has talked to me occasionally. From what I can pick up he really likes art, and he's nice enough, but a little intimidating in appearance."

Jill nodded in understanding. She liked quiet people as much as she liked fun, talkative people (or at least used to like them, she wasn't quite sure now). Quiet people were generally the smartest and most insightful of humans, and yet they weren't given the amount of time to show people just what they were capable of. Not to mention the fact that quiet and shy generally go hand in hand, so shyness can lead to stage fright. Overall, being quiet can be wonderful, but also a curse. Almost like a pearl locked up inside of an oyster until someone got the brilliant idea to open it up and gaze at the contents inside.

The next leg of their tour lead them past a nice-looking beach, and Celia explained that during the spring and summer the younger valley residents (and some from Mineral Town) got together and hung out after work. It was usually, enjoyable, and hopefully Jill would be able to stick around long enough to attend one or two.

Eventually they reached a very floral and colorful looking home, one that Jill was sure belonged to some girly girl she probably wouldn't like too much, but it ended up belonging to a grown man named Gustafa, or something odd like that. Celia said he really liked guitar and was something of a hippy. Jill could respect that, especially the guitar part. She used to spend a lot of time playing guitar, back before the organization got such a strong hold on her life. It was too easy to lose herself in the notes and not worry about anything while playing. Once she even busked in the city, and had earned a good hundred gold after playing for a few hours.

A fair amount of steps and five minutes later, they were back at the Nothern side of the valley, by the bar. It really didn't take that long to get anywhere, because everything was pretty close together. They had just walked slowly, but now they were eager to be inside the bar, even if it was a little early for lunch, because the outside was getting warmer with every minute they stayed out.

Celia opened the door and gestured for Jill to go inside first. She followed soon after, and Jill spent a few seconds soaking in the interior.

It was very different than what she had expected. The only bar she had ever been to was what workers called the Basement Bar back at the organization. It had been a dark, bleak place, full of men playing pool, cards, and betting money on which girl they would sleep with that night. Jill tended to stay away from such shady business, because, despite the fact that she was part of the organization, she had morals, unlike most of the other people there. She had gone to the bar once or twice with the few friends she had, but after the second time...well, she decided to never go again, for certain reasons.

This bar, however, was extremely different. The atmosphere was light and homey. A vase of flowers sat on a table in the corner, and a small counter with some barstools was in the middle of the room. Behind the counter were shelves of colorful bottles of alcohol, each one different than the one next to it. It smelled, obviously, like beer and wine, but Jill was surprised to find there was also an underlying scent of apple pie and cinnamon.

When the door behind Celia and Jill closed, a girl clad in a scarlet red dress and blue sweater looked up. She had been scribbling something down on a notepad behind the counter, but once she saw the pair, her face lit up like a match.

"Celia!" she greeted, and bounced over to the entrance to embrace her friend. "It's been, like, a week! Way too long, honey!"

Celia smiled, and replied, "Sorry, Muffy. Spring is coming, and we've been busy. Plus, I just got back from visiting my parents in the city."

Muffy flipped her curly blond hair and smiled. "It's fine, I'm just teasing. Oh, and you must be Pony!" Thankfully, Muffy didn't hug Jill like she did Celia. Instead, she simply stuck out a dainty hand for Jill to shake. Her fingernails were red and shiny, which Jill thought gave most city women a dominant, scary air, but on Muffy it was more of a warm and girly yet professional vibe.

"I'm Muffy, if Celia didn't already tell you," Muffy continued. "I'm the bargirl. I'd introduce you to Griffin, but he's out visiting people in Mineral Town. He should be back later tonight, though, if you want to stop by."

"Maybe," Jill replied. "I might be a little tired, but I'll see what I can do."

"Great," Muffy beamed. "I'll get lunch ready. Celia, anything to drink?"

"Just water," Celia replied. Jill asked for the same. She had learned not to drink around people she didn't fully trust. It was definitely not a good idea to have a fuzzy brain when the person giving you alcohol could be out to kill you.

• • •

The rest of the day went much the same. Muffy joined Celia and Jill on the rest of their tour, during which Jill only met a few more townsfolk. After that, they had gone to Celia's house for dinner with Vesta, Marlin, and Hardy, and then Hardy escorted her back to his home again for a nap.

Later on she woke up around nine o'clock, not feeling very tired, when she remembered Muffy had suggested she go to the bar and meet Griffin. Feeling somewhat bored and not having any intentions of sleeping more, she decided she didn't really have anything better to do.

Hardy let her go without much thought, especially because she didn't bother to take her rucksack with her. She explained that she would go meet Griffin and then maybe go for a walk, and she promised to wear her coat, as well, so he just let her be.

Once she got outside, though, Jill didn't feel much like socializing. The night air and the stars were too peaceful to be interrupted by the social awkwardness that Jill still felt around others. Instead, she decided to head toward the spring Hardy and Celia had mentioned earlier to see what it was like. She wasn't but five steps away from Hardy's house, however, when she heard a far-off scream and crash break the calm ambience. It had come from the west, which was the direction of the mansion.

Her heart skipped a beat, and then it was off and thudding two times the speed it had been going before. Something had happened, someone had screamed. It wasn't just a yelp of surprise, it was a scream. That was bad.

_Organization? _Jill wondered. No. Someone from the organization would have known better than to make a crash. They were smarter than that. Well, at least most of them. And no one had said the valley had regular break-ins.

Had she imagined it? Was her guard simply up too high?

Her head screamed yes, but her heart screamed no. She was off and running toward the villa within three seconds.

It was a miracle everything in the valley was so close together, or else she probably would have gotten lost and not have been able to get there in time. It wasn't difficult to navigate toward the break in the pine trees where she knew the staircase was, even in the nighttime with no moon.

At the top of the villa staircase, she scanned the building for any signs of trouble. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her ears she didn't notice the footsteps until a person stood right in front of her.

His hair was somewhere between a dark gray and snow white. Silver, she decided. His eyes gleamed in the moonlight, though she couldn't figure out what color they were exactly, as he was a few feet away. He was wearing some sort of leopard-print suit, and, though she initially thought it was extremely unattractive, and, well, gay-looking, she couldn't help but notice the sleeves had been bunched up to reveal lean, muscled forearms. He couldn't be from the organization (it was protocol to wear some sort of black jacket, and this jacket was anything _but _black), but Jill didn't get the feeling he was very safe, either.

And yet they stood there, staring at each other, for a good ten seconds. Jill couldn't tell herself to do something, even though she could see the necklace he had presumably stolen dangling from his hand. They might've stood there forever, just staring, had a young girl not burst out of the mansion and broken the trance.

The silver-haired guy whirled around to face the smaller girl through the blur of the fountain. She had short, carrot-colored hair, and was wearing white and lavender pajamas that Jill knew were expensive just by lookingat them. This girl had to be Lumina, she realized.

"Wait, you!" Lumina shouted, breathless. "Aren't you that thief that warns his victims ahead of time?"

The thief smirked, and replied, "Pleased to meet you as well, beautiful." He glanced at Jill when he said the word 'beautiful,' and Jill felt something in her stomach flop. Was it anger? Embarrassment? "Call me Phantom Skye, or just Skye."

Lumina frowned, and said, "Oh, just give me that necklace back, you rotten thief!"

_He's crazy, _Jill thought. _Why isn't he running? Is he an amateur? Or is he just smart? _

Skye smirked, and replied, "Don't let such raw anger steal away your beauty, maiden. Though I fear I'm a bit pressed for time tonight." He looked again at Jill, and then continued, "We'll meet again, though. It's written in the stars."

And then, just like that, he slipped past the girls, into the shadows. His feet barely made a sound. For not being from the organization, he was professional, and tidy. _Not an amateur._ _Smart. _He was fast, too, that was for certain. But she was faster, and she could catch him. Probably.

She was just about to run when Lumina's voice stopped her. "Wait," the girl said again. She walked toward Jill. "I've never seen you before. Are you Pony?"

Jill nodded, not wanting to converse much. Did Lumina not realize that she had just been _robbed?_ "I could catch him, if you want," Jill explained quickly. "Get the necklace back."

Lumina waved her hand, as if nothing was wrong. "Don't worry about that. It's not the most expensive one in the mansion, I promise. The police will catch him eventually, and then we'll get it back."

Jill wasn't so sure, and almost surprised by Lumina's casualness, but she opted not to say anything on the matter. Instead, she settled with, "Well, okay, if you say so."

The girl nodded, and then smiled. "I'm Lumina," she said, sticking a hand out for Jill to shake. "Welcome to the valley. That thief sure is a smooth-talker. Kind of cute, too, once you get past the leopard jacket." She giggled, and continued, "That whole written in the stars thing is a little cheesy, but I could get used to hanging around a guy like him."

Jill smiled. "Even after he stole your necklace?"

"Well, probably not. But still, a girl can dream, right?"

"Yeah," Jill replied. "Yeah, a girl can dream."

After a sort of awkward silence, Lumina yawned, and then said, "Well, it's getting late, and I'm tired. I'll see you around, Pony. You can come and meet my Grandma and our Butler sometime. We have cats, too, if you like animals."

Jill was in fact a cat person, but she felt it was strange to mention this personal detail, so she settled with waving a goodnight and then politely waiting until Lumina closed the mansion door to start walking back toward Hardy's house.

She was a little too spooked to go on any longer of a walk, but she did some thinking while on the way back. That Skye man sure was strange. He couldn't have been much older than Jill, but he couldn't be much younger, either. He couldn't be from the organization, yet that didn't mean he had no ties to it, either. She'd keep her guard up and try to stay away from him, but she figured that as long as he didn't directly jeopardize the exposure of her location, it was safe for her to remain in the valley.

Lumina's words resounded in her mind once again, at that thought. _A girl can dream, right? _Jill couldn't help but feel she was dreaming. At any other moment in her life, she would've immediately left the valley for her own, and others', safety. But she wanted, so badly, to find a home in this valley. Part of her knew it was impossible, that the Pigs would find her eventually. Hawk never gave up. But another part of her wanted nothing more than to settle down, get a job, fall in love, have a good, normal life, like she always wanted. She was dreaming, she knew it, but...a girl can dream, right?

She went to sleep that night trying to ignore the idea that the Pigs could be staking out anywhere, putting everyone she had met and liked so far in danger.

**A/N: **Things kick up next chapter. I promise. :P


	5. Chapter 5: New Opportunities

**A/N: **Longer wait than usual. My apologies. Life (and Skyrim) calls. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. There's quite a bit of plot advancement that goes on this chapter. :)

**Chapter 5: New Opportunities  
**

The following five days, Jill's health improved significantly, and she started to find her way around the valley without a tour guide. She still stayed with Hardy at night and in the morning, but most of the time she was doing odd jobs for Vesta. The first day had been pretty brutal, but Jill had to admire Vesta's skill at breaking in workers. After all, she had done it twice before, and so she knew how to get Jill to work. The policy was pretty much to make the first day torture, so that a worker knows what to expect on bad days, and make the next few days normal, so that she can recover. She ate most meals at the bar or at Vesta's, and earned her keep by sorting vegetables into their respective shipping bins or delivering boxes of seeds and produce around the valley in the morning, and helping to get the fields prepared for Spring in the afternoon. They were usually done with work around three or four in the afternoon, at which point Jill would go to Ruby's for a quick shower and then join a family for dinner. After that, she was given free time to spend with people or visit the spring, as she liked doing.

It was strange actually working in a schedule again. Unlike back at the organization, however, she generally enjoyed the work. Celia was fun to talk to but also knew when to stay quiet, Vesta always gave good advice, and Marlin was handy with most tasks even though he rarely talked, and his cold had improved significantly. Jill gradually met everyone in the valley, and she began putting names to faces she had tried to remember from Celia's tour.

It was the last day of winter when Vesta granted her the day off. There was going to be a party at the beach that evening, and Jill had been invited to hang out at the farm until festivities started later, but there were a few places Jill had wanted to explore, first. Vesta accepted this without much question, and so Jill simply grabbed her rucksack, said goodbye to Hardy, and then headed out the door.

It had certainly started to feel like spring the past few days. Snow no longer covered the ground. Instead, little bunches of grass had started to make the transition from brownish yellow to lush green again. The air was less chilly and more moist, and Jill sometimes had to take her coat off during work to keep from overheating.

She took deep breaths of the clean air and started walking down the path toward the bridge, even though that wasn't where she intended to go. She was actually looking for the path that led to the abandoned farm Celia had told her about the first day. Why, exactly, she wasn't sure, but something about it made Jill interested. Old buildings were generally enchanting to be around. They were also good hiding spots for bad thieves, but Jill didn't worry much about this as she made her way through some overgrown bushes.

That was another thing Jill noticed had changed. Things that normally would've been suspicious had become less frightening in the past week. The valley was already beginning to have an effect on her. Jill couldn't tell if it was the people or the scenery, maybe both. But something about it had a calm, healing air, and not even the too-good-to-be-true, suspicious kind. Everyone was just commonly polite and courteous, if not friendly and accepting.

The path wasn't as long as she had expected it to be. It was only a good twenty feet through some pine trees, and then the foliage thinned to reveal a huge, unnatural clearing. Several buildings beyond repair stood in the field, some so deteriorated Jill could barely make out what they were. The only things that still seemed intact were the stable, the watering hole, and a small chunk of the house. Everything else was beyond repair, probably, Jill noticed, because all of it had been constructed of wood and not stone.

The field itself was also in bad shape. One tall, lonely looking tree stood in the middle that might still bear fruit, but the rest of the trees in the field looked dead. The ground was covered in leaves, weeds, sticks, stones, and long-dead crops, and the air smelled of compost. Still...it wasn't unfixable, and any of the work required to make everything function again would be nothing compared to the hell she had gone through at the organization.

Because, really, not even farm work could be worse than accidentally killing innocent people, being on the run for months, various head wounds, and getting shot in the shoulder, not to mention the mental and emotional stress that no person, especially not someone young like Jill, should have to go through.

As she investigated some of the broken-down buildings more closely, Jill tried to push the idea of cleaning up the farm away, but it kept coming back to bite her. She could help make this valley even better. Hardy had explained to her a few days back that some more money needed to get flowing in their tiny economy, and ever since the farmer had died all those years ago things hadn't been quite the same. The money mostly circulated within the valley and Mineral Town, but without ranch products to take in more money from outside sources, they were all suffering a bit more than comfortable. It was only little things, of course: not enough money for Muffy to buy a new dress, Hardy couldn't always afford top-quality ointments, Vesta didn't have enough to repair her third seed maker...but still. These things mattered to the townspeople, no matter how insignificant, and Jill wanted to help, somehow.

It was a stupid idea, of course. The more attention she drew to herself, the sooner the Pigs would find her. But what if she _could _be successful? What if she could make herself a brief, comfortable life here? Wasn't it possible that Hawk would just leave her alone?

Jill knew, in some deep part of herself, that Hawk never gave up, but she refused to let this fact dampen her spirits, especially when she walked inside the remaining part of the house.

It was such a cozy little abode. The walls were plywood, like most of the other buildings, and gave it a country feel. A small coffee table stood in the middle of the room, and a bed with faded blue sheets had been shoved into the corner. Other little pieces of furniture here and there tied everything together, and Jill felt herself smile. "It's so...cute!" Jill whispered to herself. She was surprised at her use of the word; she hadn't called something cute in what felt like decades, but it just seemed the right word to use in this situation.

"Pretty nice, isn't it?" A voice said from behind her. Jill whirled around to see a man, probably somewhere in his fifties, standing at the door. The first thing she noticed about him were his eyebrows. They were unnaturally bushy, and yet Jill found herself kind of liking this odd part of him. It gave him character, something that everyone in the valley seemed to have abundant amounts of.

"Yeah," she replied, once her heart continued at its normal thump again. "It's cozy." Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered something about Griffin mentioning a man that still lived on the farm. Apparently, he had been good friends with the past farmer. Or maybe they had been brothers. She couldn't quite remember.

"A little dusty," the man commented, his voice deep and rusty. He ran his hand over the doorframe. "But with some work, it would look fine again."

Jill nodded, and glanced around the room again. She wanted so badly to make a home here. So, so badly. She had nothing, and now all she wanted was something to work for, something to make her feel right, like she could fix everything she had done wrong in the past year or so.

The man was quiet for a few more moments, and then said, "I'm Takakura. A bit of a mouthful, I know. The man who used to work here was my best friend. I promised him...before he passed on...that I'd find him someone young and strong to take care of this farm."

Jill turned to face Takakura, wondering what he was implying. He continued, "No one has really come around in the past few years, though. Mineral Town got a few newbies, but no one stuck around in the valley. I have to make sure I find the right person for the job, for my friend's sake."

He was quiet again after that. About thirty seconds later, he stepped away from the doorframe, and disappeared back to wherever he came from. Jill found it a little weird but also touching that he was acting as the farm's caretaker until someone better came around.

But could that someone better really be her?

She left the farm after that, her head full of muddled thoughts. Maybe it would be a good idea to go to Vesta's after all. That way she could distract herself from other things.

In cliché novels and stuff, she thought, this would be the point where she would turn around and ask Takakura if she could take care of the farm. But that would mean dropping work at Vesta's and having to rely on her own skills to pay Hardy, and everyone else who had helped her, back. She wasn't sure if she could do that yet, but something inside of her chided her to take the farm. To accept it. It was calling her, somehow.

_Goddess, _she prayed, _please help me decide what to do. _

Nothing magical happened. She kept praying all the way to Vesta's house for some clear sign, but if she had learned anything it was that the Goddess only showed her the way when she absolutely needed it. So maybe Her ignorance was a sign that, inside, Jill already knew what she had to do.

Or some crazy cheese like that.

Still, she decided, she'd let herself spend a day thinking about it, and come up with an answer in the morning.

• • •

She spent the rest of the afternoon until the festival hanging out at the Spring, visiting with Muffy and Lumina, and then, finally, accepting Vesta's offer to celebrate the New Year a bit with the family. She had found that it was easy to fit in with Vesta, Marlin, and Celia. They were all fun (well, maybe Marlin wasn't _really _fun), but none of them demanded too much attention from her. She liked that. She was pretty good at giving others attention when they wanted it, for politeness' sake, but she didn't like talking for long periods of time without some time to think and gather her thoughts. At Vesta's, she was given the privilege to do so.

Muffy, on the other hand, had proved to be a little different in that respect, but Jill didn't mind as much as she thought she would. Something about Muffy was special, it made you almost feel the need to tell her everything, from your latest favorite shade of lipstick to your darkest secrets.

Marlin, Celia, Vesta, and Jill spent the afternoon and some of the evening exchanging stories they hadn't told while working yet. Apparently, Marlin had been quite the klutz when he was little. Later they even played a game of Black Jack and Euchre, both of which Jill was extremely good at thanks to working with cheaters in the organization, but she tried to tone her skills down a little for the sake of the others. It wasn't like they were betting anything other than pennies, but still, it wouldn't be fun to win everything.

Around five-fifty, they left to go to the festival at the beach. The atmosphere was very different than what Jill had expected. She didn't realize how much the valley cared about the event, because it had been decorated with festive little flags and flowers, as well as other decorations here and there. A long table set for a good fifty people sat in the middle of the area, and picnic blankets had been spread around for sitting on the sand. Everyone in the valley had come to enjoy the festivities, as well as many unfamiliar faces Jill had never seen before.

Celia and Jill found a spot with Muffy, Lumina, and Nami on a beach blanket by the shore, and used up some time chatting before the festival began. Jill spent the first five minutes taking in all of the people and activity, though, and not really listening to what they were saying.

"So, Lumina," Jill eventually heard Muffy say, "what's going on with you and Rock? Did I hear a rumor that you two are _dating_?"

All the girls, including Nami, excluding Lumina, giggled. Lumina's face darkened until it looked like she was badly sunburned, and she stuttered, "N-no...I don't know where you'd hear that. We're not dating."

Muffy shrugged her shoulders. She was wearing a dark green dress with a black sweater-ish shrug for the festival. A smile played on her lips. "If you say so. But I swear I heard you two talking by the Goddess Spring the other day, so something must be going on. Spill!"

If Lumina was sunburned before, she was now approximately the shade of a firetruck.

Jill smiled, and found the words leave her lips naturally. "Come on, Lumina. Tell us about the 'secret life of the Forget-Me-Not teenager.'" Everyone laughed, but with those words, Jill felt like a layer of metaphoric skin had been shed, and been replaced with something new and different. She was comfortable enough to joke around again. It felt...nice.

"Well..." Lumina began, licking her lips. "I think he knows I like him...but the feelings aren't quite reciprocated."

"Aren't reciprocated?" Muffy snorted. "I highly doubt that, Lumina. I know a boy in love when I see him."

"Not to mention the doe eyes," Nami added. When the girls gave her quizzical looks, she shrugged, and continued, "Once you've lived around him for a while, you see the doe eyes. He has 'em alright. It's kind of weird, but he doesn't look at other girls like he looks at Lumina."

"He'll come around," Celia said, putting a comforting hand on Lumina's shoulder. "Don't worry." Jill saw something flash through Celia's eyes at that moment. Unreciprocated love...maybe it struck a spark with Celia, too, she thought.

"I think he's just stupid. Seriously. Like, he's too stupid to realize he's madly in love with you. Any moment now, he'll come racing toward you and-"

"_Lumina!_" a deep yet boyish voice called.

"Speak of the idiot," Nami murmured. Rock was racing down the shore toward them, and he stopped once he reached the blanket, stirring up a bunch of sand around them.

"Hi guys! Uh, girls, I mean," Rock panted. He flipped his platinum hair, and then continued, "Lumina, you should go for a swim with me and Hugh before the festival starts and stuff! We're bored!"

Lumina turned red at the offer, and replied, "Rock, it's too cold to swim. We'll freeze to death. Besides, I didn't even bring a swimsuit..."

Rock's face fell abruptly. "Aw, man," he whined. "I didn't even think about that. I guess you're right..." Then, his eyes lit up once again, and then he said, "Oh, I know! Come build a sandcastle with us!"

Lumina smiled, and looked around at the girls. They all nodded, eager for Lumina to be with her "true love," as they called it. She turned back to Rock, and replied, "Well, okay, I guess I can't refuse that. See you guys later."

Rock broke off at a run toward Hugh once she stood up, and Lumina trailed after him at a fast walk. Once they were out of earshot, Muffy sighed, "Oh, young love."

Nami smirked, and added, "Look who's talking, Miss I-get-a-date-with-a-new-guy-every-week."

Muffy gasped in mock-horror. "Are you calling me a _hoe, _Nami? I'm appalled!"

The girls giggled, and Nami replied, "Of course not. Besides, you aren't actually sleeping with them...are you?"

Muffy made a gagging face, and then said, "Goddess, of course not. And besides, it's not young love for me. I'm, like, five years older than you guys."

"And yet you act like you're four..."

"Do not!"

"Yes, you do," Nami sighed.

"Do _not!_"

"See, this is what I mean."

About ten minutes later, they were in the middle of a conversation about favorite springtime activities, when Thomas, the mayor from Mineral Town, called out, "Okay, everyone! The noodles are ready to serve! Come and get some! Please form an orderly line at the beginning of the table, and we'll serve some to you!"

Jill followed the girls to the table. It didn't take long until they had a plate full of noodles and were sitting down. Jill sat in between Muffy and Nami, with Celia in front of her, and Flora, the blond girl from the mine, on Celia's right.

Jill found herself caught in a whir of conversations, laughter, and old stories. The noodles tasted delicious, especially thanks to Vesta's vegetables. Jill realized with pride that this Spring's crop would also be thanks to her own work on the farm, even if it was only a small portion. Something about this made her insides warm: she had created something, cared for something, worked for something, and it would pay off and be good. It wasn't like organization work, where the result was bad and caused problems for others. Creating good was, well, a good thing.

She found this realization simple and yet extremely eye-opening.

The hours passed in a blur of joy and fun, and, for the first time in a while, Jill didn't think about the organization at all. She got to know Flora a little better, who had come off shy, but Jill discovered she was also fairly intelligent. And, of course, she got to know the others better, too, especially Nami, who had apparently spent her time traveling all over before she came to the valley. Jill found this to be pretty neat, since she had always wanted to travel, but had never been able to due to her "employment."

It was around eleven o'clock by the time the party started dying down. After all, there was still the New Year's celebration tomorrow, and so everyone needed their good night's sleep. Celia, Marlin, and Vesta had left with Hardy a while ago, but Jill had wanted to help Mayor Thomas and some other adults clean up as well as chat a bit more with Nami. By the time they were finished it was midnight, but Jill had one more stop to make before she turned in for the evening.

The air had turned cold, but the night was still beautiful as Jill made her way to the Goddess Spring. In contrast to the earlier events, the world was still and quiet again, like it was at dawn every day when she woke up. Except this time, instead of there being the sun, a tiny toenail of the moon hung in the night sky, with the stars around it gleaming just as bright.

She made her way up the path of the Goddess Pond carefully, so not to alert any of the animals sleeping nearby. It was her third or fourth time visiting the spring, so the path had become pretty familiar. Still, she was grateful for the strange but pretty glow of the flowers that lined the path to provide a bit more light to be guided by.

Eventually, she arrived at the pond, and knelt down next to the edge in the cool grass. She closed her eyes, and began to pray very softly.

"I know I've done so much wrong," she murmured. "But I want to fix it. I don't know what I can do, but I want to fix it. I've hurt people all over, people I don't even know, and I've been the reason for the death and casualties of so many, and I want to apologize, and somehow make it up you and everyone else. I just need you to show me how, Goddess. Thanks."

A voice suddenly spoke from behind her. "She won't hear you. The Goddess disappeared about a year ago."

Like prey being hunted, instincts kicked in, and the adrenaline was pulsing through Jill's veins within a heartbeat. She grabbed a tree branch, stood up, and whirled around to face her enemy all at once, only to find that it was Phantom Skye. Her grip on the tree branch still stayed tight, but even Jill had to admit it was hard to take a guy in a leopard print suit seriously.

"Oh, hey, Leopard Boy," she giggled breathily, trying to remain calm. "You scared me."

"Leopard Boy," the thief chuckled. "That's new. I kind of like it. Makes me sound fast, and also feisty. But you should be wearier of a guy like me. After all, I am a dangerous thief."

He took a step closer at that, but Jill didn't back down. Not to mention there was kind of a pond behind her, and if she tried to step back she'd fall in, but still. She tried to act casual and fearless, even if this guy seemed smarter than the rest of the average thieves she had met.

"Sorry," she replied, taking a step forward, "but I find it hard to take a guy seriously when he's wearing a leopard suit."

The thief smirked a bit, and retorted, "It's hard to take a girl seriously when she's holding a tree branch like it's her life line."

"Hey, you're the one who said you're a dangerous thief."

"Right you are, maiden. And yet, by your blush, I can tell you're enchanted by my presence." He took another step forward, and Jill felt her stomach flop. What was he planning...? His approach was so unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

Jill quickly retaliated. "Not really," she said, taking a step toward him, as well. "That's just a strange reflection of the moon you're seeing. But judging by your own blush, I'd say _you're_ enchanted by _me_."

When Phantom Skye took another step forward, Jill noticed there was a purple gemstone hanging from his neck. She had seen it somewhere before. _Lumina's necklace, _she realized, and a smile crept across her face. Now she had an idea.

"Men don't blush," Skye chuckled, "but nice try."

He was only about a foot away when Jill said, "I never said you were a man."

He took a step closer. "Would you like to find out?"

Jill made it appear as if she was going to wrap her arms around his neck to kiss him, but instead she grabbed his shoulders and, with a strong push, shoved him to the ground. Within a split second he had caught on to her game, and he rolled over, slipping out from her grip. She was two steps ahead, though, and caught his foot with her leg, causing him to trip back on the ground.

She rolled, quickly pinned him to the ground by sitting on top of his waist, and then proceeded to use the tree branch she still had to help hold his arms above his head by pressing the most solid part of the circumference against his wrists. He wriggled under her for about two seconds, and then realized it was helpless. She had won the skirmish.

"I'm impressed," he said breathlessly, "though I can't decide if you're trying to have a steamy osculating session or kill me."

"Neither," she replied, just as breathless. "I'm not a monster. I just want Lumina's necklace back."

"Take it, then," Skye said. "It's rightfully yours. You beat me."

Jill took one hand off of the tree branch, reached under Skye's neck, and unfastened the necklace quickly. She then tried to put it in her pocket carefully, but it was kind of hard to do while she was still sitting on the thief.

Jill tried to ignore the fact that she was probably in a really awkward position on top of him as she assessed his face and reactions. He was surprisingly limp; not a bit of him was tense. He didn't even seem to want to fight back.

He suddenly chuckled. "Don't let your face betray your true intentions, my dear. I'm not fighting back because I already have what I want. Therefore, I need nothing more."

This caught Jill off guard. She loosened her grip on his hands a little, and then asked, "What do you mean?"

"You said you're no monster," Skye explained quietly. "But judging by your reactions and skills in our little scuffle, you've scouted your way around the dark side, too."

Jill let him go and abruptly stood up. Fire flared inside of her stomach as she replied, "I don't know what you're talking about." In her head, though, was one resounding word: _shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot..._

Rule number one in her book: _never _give a future opponent the chance to assess your skills if you don't have to. Especially if that happens to give away the fact that you once worked for the Organization.

Still, she had no proof Skye was even associated with the Organization. But that didn't mean he wasn't still extremely dangerous.

The thief stood up slowly and gracefully, and said, "Maybe I'm wrong, but I think you're smarter than the rest. We have something in common there. You don't belong in a guild, just like me. We're much better than them, but also more...innocent, I suppose."

"Seriously," Jill said. "That was lucky. I just wanted to help Lumina get her necklace back."

"Whatever you say, maiden," Skye replied. "We'll meet again, though. Just like last time, it's written in the stars."

Jill huffed and started walking away from him. She was done with his silly games. She wouldn't let him jeopardize her new possible life in the valley. Besides, he didn't seem like the Pigs. He was separate. Some feeling inside of her said that he was...well, not quite trustworthy, but not corrupt, either. Just neutral. And so she was done here.

"I was serious about the Goddess, though," he called. This made Jill stop. She looked over her shoulder to see him almost sad looking. "She's been sad since that old farmer died, and the last new guy stopped taking care of the land a year ago. He only stayed for about a season, and then Takakura told him he wasn't right for the job. The Goddess was heartbroken. The villagers in this town don't know how to summon her, but I do. The summoning hasn't worked since then, though. I've been looking for ways to bring her back, but the only thing I can think of is to give the farm some tender loving care, and maybe persuade her, somehow, to come home."

Jill took this in, something within her flaring up again: a mix of sadness and optimism. She then nodded slightly, and started walking away again, her heart pounding for some odd reason.

"We'll meet again, beautiful," Skye called, a touch of smugness in his voice. "Maybe next time you'll take me up on that osculating?"

"Thanks for the offer, but, believe it or not, I do have morals," Jill called back. She started jogging away from the spring. It was already past midnight, but something inside of her had clicked.

The Goddess was sad. Jill wanted to make things right in her life. Skye was right. If the farm was the reason She left in the first place, then the farm would be the reason she came back. Fix the farm, bring back the Goddess. If Jill could make the Goddess happy, would She forgive her for her wrongs?

She could do it. How hard could farming be, right? Plant a few seeds, raise some cattle, care for living things. Feel good when you bring in the crops and animal products. She could do it for sure.

She was pretty much sprinting to the farm at this point. Takakura would still be awake. He had to be. And Hardy would understand. So would Vesta. Now she'd be able to pay them off on her own, too. She didn't have to let them take care of her. Independence. She liked the sound of that.

Her chest was heaving by the time she reached the cozy little log cabin that Takakura lived in. The lights were still on, and she breathed a sigh of relief. He was awake. Good. She wanted to do this now. She had lived her life always either planning, or simply going on raw instincts. She was now going to do something impulsive, but something she was fairly sure she could handle.

So when Takakura opened the door a split second after she knocked, she didn't think twice before blurting, "I want to take over the farm."


	6. Chapter 6: Breaking In

**Chapter 6: Breaking In**

The next morning around eight o'clock, Jill was back at the farm. Takakura had simply nodded the previous night, and then told her to come by sometime around eight o'clock the next morning, before the festival.

Jill decided he was simply a man of few words.

They spent a good hour or two talking about finances and the state of the farm, as well as the amount of effort that would have to go into it in order to make it run properly again. All of the buildings other than part of the house and the stable would have to come down, and she'd have to do it by herself. Then there was the matter of getting seeds for crops and watering every day, and eventually figuring out how to get animals on the farm, as well.

After that, Takakura gave her a set of tools, and they worked on some minor house fixings so that she could move in as soon as possible. Like Marlin, he was a man of few words, but he worked efficiently. Jill was the same. Determination was etched in her face as she sawed off various pieces of wood and then hammered nails into certain boards. It was very different than any other work she had done, but she found that after the first few boards, it wasn't so bad. By noon, the house was starting to look like it was in better shape, and insulated well enough for her to sleep in at night. The furniture inside was in pretty good condition, so that didn't need much fixing, and Takakura took some sheets from his house and replaced them with the older, faded blue sheets on the bed. By four o'clock, two hours before the New Year's Celebration, Jill had finished planting two nine-by-nine patches of turnips from Takakura's supply, and she was also about ready to flop into bed and fall asleep.

They stood together at the edge of the field, admiring their hard day's work, until Takakura said, "You'll make it. You work hard, and you're passionate. I like that."

"Thanks," Jill said. Her heart swelled. This was their farm. She had a house_. _Her very own freaking _house. _

"There's still a lot more to do," Takakura continued, "but I think you'll be okay. And I'm always here if you need me. For now, we should probably at least go to the festival, and tell Vesta and Hardy about your decision. They'll be okay with it, don't worry."

Jill nodded, not entirely paying attention. The turnip patches were clean and neat; she had done a fairly good job, at least by her own standards. The house looked like a pair of patched-up jeans, but it had character and was stable, unlike all the other buildings she would have to demolish over the next week or so.

She was so happy the rest of the day and at the festival she barely even thought about the Pigs and the Organization. The festival went by in a blur, but there were lots of people that were happy about her decision to take over the farm, especially Hardy. "I'm glad you'll be staying for a while," he had said. "That way I can still take care of your wounds if they act up again."

Two festivals in one day was a bit much for Jill, so she went home a little early with Hardy, who helped her bring her rucksack and clothes to the new house. He also kindly supplied her with about eight different phone numbers to the businesses in Mineral Town should she need to order anything. Jill had nodded, still in a tired daze, and, soon after he left, crashed on the bed and fallen asleep as soon as her eyes were shut.

The next morning, she got up around six, and watered the crops. She felt much more refreshed, and started thinking about ways she could get a good start. It would be best to work up gradually, she figured, so she'd start with crops, and then stray toward poultry, and then livestock. She ordered about four more nine-by-nine packets of seeds from the supermarket that morning (two patches of potatoes and two more turnips, to be exact), and worked on planting those. By nine o'clock, she was finished, and tired, but she wouldn't let herself leave the farm until lunchtime, which she would probably spend at the bar or maybe Vesta's house.

She spent the time until then ripping apart the buildings and trying to find wood that could be spared for her future chicken coop, which went fairly well. Around eleven o'clock, Takakura entered the farm with a surprise: a dog and a cat.

"Holy crow!" Jill cried when she saw him carrying the two animals down the entrance path. "They're so adorable! Where did you get them?"

Takakura chuckled, and replied, "A woman in the city had a dog and a cat that both had litters a while ago, and she asked me to take these two, because they were the last ones and no one else in the city wanted them. So I figured you might like them." He set the dog and the cat on the ground in front of Jill, who then crouched down to pet both of them lovingly. The last time she had a pet was when she was thirteen or fourteen, and then her favorite cat died and she had refused to get any more. But they were cute...

"So we can keep them?" Jill asked, smiling up at Takakura. He nodded.

"What do you want to name them?" he asked. "The dog is a boy, and the cat is a girl."

Jill thought for a moment, and then replied, "I'll name the dog Wesley, and the cat will be Perri." She stood, looked Takakura in the eye, and said, "Thank you so much, Takakura. This is really nice of you."

"No problem, Pony," he replied. "I just figured you might want a housewarming gift."

Jill smiled, but when she heard the name Pony, she felt a little guilty again. Maybe someday she'd tell the valley that wasn't her real name, but for now, she was Pony.

Perri and Wesley kept her company while she worked until noon, and then she left the farm to go have lunch. Takakura had given her five hundred gold to live off until her first shipment of crops went out, but until then she still had to spend wisely.

The valley was sunny and warm compared to the previous winter days. Little buds were starting to open up in the trees, and the grass seemed to turn greener with every hour. Birds tweeted merrily, creating a cheery and warm ambience.

When Jill opened the bar, she was surprised to find it was not Muffy there, but Griffin. Jill had spent maybe an hour or two around Griffin before, and thought he was pretty nice, though, so she figured it was alright.

He looked up from the glass he was cleaning once she opened the door, and smiled. "Hey, Pony," he said, and smiled. "Muffy's out shopping in town today."

"That's okay," Jill replied, making her way toward the counter. "I was actually just looking for some lunch. I can pay you for it, of course."

Griffin chuckled, and said, "You're one of Muffy's friends, so you're one of mine. I can't ask a friend to pay. You must be hungry now that you're working hard at that farm all day. What can I get for you?"

Jill thought for a moment, and replied, "Can you make stir fry? That would be great. And thanks for not charging. It's really kind of you."

He smiled kindly. "Of course. It's no problem, really."

While Griffin made lunch, Jill skimmed through a newspaper on the counter. It was an old newspaper, probably by a month or so, and she had heard most of the stories through her travels (well, runnings), except for one article in particular that caught her eye:

**Break-ins All Over Kingsly: Coincidence, or Linked?**

It's no secret that as of late there have been various break-ins all over Kingsly, but it wasn't until about a week ago that police discovered that the break-ins may in fact be linked together.

"All of the break-ins are happening at various museums," a local policeman who wishes to remain anonymous explained. "And all of the artifacts that were stolen have been connected. A famous document was also stolen from one of the Capital buildings in the city nearby, but that could be a coincidence."

Still, authorities have reasons to be suspicious. The thieves suspected for each crime are different, but have all been involved in similar cases before. Is it possible that the crimes are part of a bigger picture? Is there a mass of crooks forming on the horizon? It's a well-known story that last year the Government was given information via computer files about the notorious Project X, but since then, no other information has been exposed, and agencies have not been able to find the source of the Project. Now, however, authorities are starting to wonder if there's a new Project under the radar, and who's going to save them from it this time?

The article went on with possible speculations, but Jill didn't want to read any more. She took a deep breath, and, as quietly as she could, opened her rucksack and put the newspaper inside so no one else would be able to read it. So, the Organization was up to something yet again?

_Whatever, _Jill thought. _It's not my responsibility. The world can freaking save itself. I'm not getting into this again. I've lost everything because of those stupid files. _

Guilt stabbed her like an arrow to the heart. She knew she should do something, but she finally felt happy and safe for the first time in around a year. The authorities could figure it out and catch the thieves, and find the organization hideout on its own time. They could lose their families. Jill had something again, and she wasn't going to lose it, not if she could help it.

"So, how are you doing with all of this, Pony?" Griffin suddenly asked. Jill jumped so slightly it wasn't noticeable, but her heart still fluttered a bit inside of her chest.

Regaining composure, she replied, "I'm doing alright. It's a lot of new things at once."

Griffin nodded, though Jill couldn't see his expression because he was making the stir-fry. He flipped the vegetables and after they sizzled loudly, he replied, "I'd assume so! Where'd you say you're from, again?"

"Er, Flowerbud," Jill replied, recalling her conversation with Hardy. Always stick to the same story. "I have family there, but I figured it's about time I find my own place. This farm seems like a nice way to start."

"I agree," Griffin said. "Sometimes life's best things come as a surprise. I thought this bar would just be something I picked up for a while, but I ended up falling in love with her."

"It's a great building," Jill commented as Griffin grabbed a plate from a nearby cabinet and flipped her stir-fry on to it. He put the plate on the counter in front of her and handed her a fork. She murmured her thanks, and dug in to the delicious food.

After picking up the cup he had been cleaning before, Griffin replied, "It's got such a nice atmosphere. I used to wonder why my Grandfather built it here, and now that I'm older, I guess I finally understand. You don't get bars like this in the city, you know what I mean?"

Jill thought of memories from the Basement Bar at the organization, and shook her head. "No, you don't," she said, meaning it entirely. "You take good care of it. Muffy loves it here, too."

Griffin nodded, but something in his eyes was different from the rest of his face. Jill was generally good at reading faces, as she had been trained to notice every and all details, but the expression in his eyes was hard to decipher. He almost looked regretful. Before Jill had a chance to think about why, though, he glanced down at the counter again.

As Jill continued eating and Griffin continued cleaning the cup, she thought about her farm. Oh, how she wanted fields of green and skies of blue with a variety of crops, and her animals grazing in a pasture of perfectly cultivated grass. Maybe she'd stay more than a season. If the pigs didn't find her, she was fairly sure she could stay a very long time in the valley.

Still, the article she had read in the newspaper before disturbed her slightly. If Hawk was up to something again, there was no one that could stop it, except maybe her. Then again, if Hawk was up to something again, maybe he had decided to forget Jill entirely. Jill's stomach twisted into a balloon animal at that thought. Forgotten by Hawk. What a miracle that would be.

After she finished eating lunch, Jill decided to take a walk to the beach, since she was too tired to attempt any more farm work. The air was warm but the beach was surprisingly quiet and lonely, other than Nami, who was standing at the shore. Her red hair swayed like cattails along a pond in the wind, and she had her hands shoved in her pockets. Jill decided she must have been deep in thought, and she walked all the way to the other side of the shore so not to disturb her meditation.

Instead of thinking about her time in the valley and the possible threat of the organization, Jill let her mind wander to other things. She was always a thinker, and that hadn't changed, even after she joined the organization and her life got screwed. Unfortunately, due to running around, she hadn't had much time to just stop and think about things. But maybe that was a good thing, because her life wasn't always a nice thing to think about.

She eventually found herself pondering the people she had met so far in the valley. Celia and Muffy were probably her best friends, but she also wanted to get closer to Nami, as well as some of the other villages. The older couple, Nina and Galen, was especially pleasant. Nina was about as cute as old ladies get, and Galen was her perfect albeit stiff counterpart. And then there was Skye, that irritating thief. Jill found herself scowling a bit when he entered her thought waves. She was going to have to avoid him as much as possible, but part of her also wanted to manipulate him into telling her how to get more information on bringing the Goddess back, as well as whether or not he was associated with the Organization. She had already used the seducing trick, and that was her least favorite thing to pull, so she'd have to get information out of him the old fashioned way. Then again, maybe she'd end up keeping her distance anyway.

It must have been at least half an hour before Jill suddenly realized that she still had Lumina's necklace in her rucksack. She smiled a bit at how surprised the small girl would probably be when Jill returned the necklace, and that thought motivated her away from her comfy spot in the sand and back toward the entrance of the beach.

Turtle Pond was the first checkpoint back to the Northern part of the valley, but Jill became distracted while she made her way there by some music, guitar, she realized, that was gently floating through the spring air. Jill had played guitar for a long time, but for the past year she hadn't even looked at one, let alone touched one. The sound brought back memories that were both comforting and painful. She wandered through the trees around the pond, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise, until she eventually stumbled on a man dressed something like a leprechaun leaning against a maple tree, a beautiful acoustic guitar in his lap. Jill watched his fingers move gracefully along the fret board, creating sounds unlike any she had heard in a long while. Out of respect she didn't interrupt his playing, instead, she sat down on the grass nearby, and began to lose herself in the music.

One of the strange things about herself, at least she thought, was that she enjoyed watching people play as much as she enjoyed actually playing the instrument. It was intriguing to observe different techniques and methods, as well as hear the unique sounds the different brands of guitars made. The variables that affected the tone were things like the type of wood as well as pickups and even all the way down to the difference of strings.

When the man finished his song, he looked up at Jill. She noticed he had an unnaturally large nose and a strange beard, but other than that, he looked like your average hippie. Jill was fairly sure she had seen him at the festivals or maybe at the bar, and she suddenly remembered the flower hut Celia had shown her on their tour around town. She had said a man lived there...his name started with a G, or at least she thought.

"Hello," he said, tipping his hat at her. He continued playing the guitar, and Jill wondered if it was impolite of her to just sit there, until he said, "You must be Pony. I've seen you around. I'm Gustafa."

Gustafa. She would hopefully remember that name. It sounded about as foreign as Takakura. His nose was about as big as Takakura's eyebrows, too. Nonetheless, she nodded. "I couldn't help but hear your guitar as I was walking by," she explained, "so I had to stop and listen. I haven't heard anyone play for a while."

"I understand," Gustafa replied. His voice was quiet, almost like a murmur, but also clear and airy. "Feel free to stay as long as you like. It's nice to be in touch with nature."

Jill nodded, and leaned back against a tree as he continued to play a soft, plucked tune full of beautiful minor chords and tonics. She had forgotten how much she missed music. It was a huge part of her life, but something she didn't always have access to. Maybe she'd pick it up again now that she had the farm. Maybe she'd pick up a lot of things, now that she had the farm.

About three songs later, Jill stood up again with a short sigh. She briefly thanked Gustafa for the music, to which he nodded in reply, and then she was off to the main path again to find Lumina.

It didn't take long. Jill figured she'd either be at the spring or the mansion, and her first assumption was correct. Rock walked past Jill as she made her way up the path to the pond, and Jill smiled coyly, wondering if they had been up to anything before she came.

Lumina heard Jill approaching and turned around from the spring. Jill pulled the necklace out from her pocket, and held it out to Lumina, whose jaw dropped in surprise. Jill couldn't help but smile at her expression.

"That's my necklace!" Lumina cried, tracing the amethyst jewel with one finger. "How did...how did you get it back?"

"I told you," Jill replied sheepishly, "I'm a fast runner. I ran into that thief again last night and got it for you."

"Wow," the girl breathed, finally taking the pendant from Jill's hand. "That's incredible. How can I repay you, Pony? Seriously, he could have killed you!"

Jill chuckled, and replied, "I don't think so. He's too much of a lady's man. And really, you don't have to do anything. I already owe everyone here so much for taking me in and being so kind."

"That's baloney," Lumina scoffed. "You sound like one of those princesses from Disney movies. I'll find some way to pay you back. Thank you so much, Jill. My nana will be so pleased." Jill watched happily as Lumina put the necklace around her neck for safekeeping, and then the girl continued, "So, what are you up to today?"

"Farming," Jill replied. "Planting, clearing things, planting, clearing things, and thinking about ways to raise enough money to build a chicken coop. Real charming stuff, you know."

Lumina giggled, and asked, "Well, what are you going to do for the rest of the day?"

"I thought I'd go see what Celia's up to," Jill said. "You want to come with me?"

"I can't," Lumina frowned. "Nana expects me to come home and practice piano soon." She glanced at a watch on her wrist, and continued, "Actually, I should probably get going right about now. I'd love to walk with you, though."

Jill nodded, and they started back down the path to Lumina's mansion. "So," Jill started, "I saw Rock heading toward town when I came up the path. Were you two doing anything...special?" Jill waggled her eyebrows in a way that was meant to be silly, but it probably just came out weird looking. Lumina burst out laughing anyway.

"No, no," Lumina said, blushing a bit. After she noticed the incredulous look on Jill's face, she clarified, "I swear, we weren't doing anything. Well, we were actually talking about that recent robbery in Kingsly, but we weren't _doing _anything. Believe it or not, the guy can have a brain when it comes to crime. I told him about how that Phantom Thief stole my necklace, and now he's trying to come up with a way that we can catch him."

Just like that, Jill's good mood evaporated. So the valley people were informed about crime. Still, they didn't know her identity yet, so she was safe, at least until Rock-the-idiot-but-apparently-intelligent-play-boy-hippie-person figured out who exactly she was.

Trying to keep up the conversation, Jill acted enthusiastic when she replied, "Good for him. Maybe you can help him. Then you'll actually get the chance to _do _stuff."

"You're gross, Pony," Lumina laughed. "We aren't even dating."

"Sure, sure," Jill replied. "But we all know the truth. You keep thinking that, and see where it gets you."

_And I'll keep thinking I can live here, and see where it gets me. _

• • •

Later that same evening, Doctor Hardy was using Ruby's telephone again. Though Ruby was in the kitchen, an entirely different room, Hardy knew he had to talk quietly. This was a conversation he couldn't risk anyone else hearing.

He punched the digits into the phone dial, and waited three rings. Then, as usual, a feminine voice picked up and said, "Hello, you've reached the Mineral Town clinic. This is Ellie speaking. How can I be of assistance this evening?"

"It's me again, Ellie," Hardy replied. He was about to continue when Ellie cut him off.

"Doctor Hardy, it's so nice to hear your voice again! How are you?"

Hardy, losing some of his patience, replied, "I'm great, Ellie, but it's imperative that I speak to Trent right now. Is he there?"

Ellie mumbled something, her hand over the speaker. A lower voice spoke in the background, and then Ellie was back again. "Yes sir, Doctor Hardy, he's right here. Hold on just a moment."

Seconds later, Trent's voice came through the line. "I've got Ellie out of the room. It must be important for you to call this late. Is she who we think she is?"

"I'm about eighty percent sure," Hardy explained. "The good news is something convinced her to stay in the valley, so I'm hoping she'll be here a while. She's running that abandoned farm across the way."

"Good," Trent sighed. "So what's the next plan?"

"I've requested that she visit my clinic at least once a week to make sure her wounds are healing and she feels okay," Hardy replied. "Her body has been under way too much physical stress in the past year or so, especially if this is the girl we think it is. When she comes to my clinic I'm going to try to figure out more about her, see if I can get her to slip up and tell me more information." Hardy paused, and then murmured, "We have to make sure this is who we think it is before we take any more action. If we mess up, things could get bad, Trent."

"I understand," Trent said. "I'm just...well, what if she's sly, you know, good at talking? What if she doesn't give anything away? Then what?"

Hardy sighed. "I'll have to get my hands on that diary somehow, I guess. But I don't want to function like that, at least not yet. I have to get her to trust me, first. And I'm fairly good at that."

"Yes, you are. I'll be in for a visit to Forget-Me-Not in a few days, and we can talk more then. But maybe you should hold off on the phone calls, Hardy. Ellie's getting suspicious, and I don't want her involved."

"Yes, of course," Hardy replied. "I'll be more careful next time, sorry. I'm just a little anxious, that's all. As you know very well, it's been a while since either of us has been in this business. I'm slipping up more than usual."

"It's all good and well," Trent said. "I just want to put an end to this."

"So do I, Trent. So do I."

"Well, I'll talk to you later, Hardy."

"Call me Michael, Trent."

"Right. Talk to you later, Michael. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

• • •

**A/N: **Fairly short chapter. Sorry bout that. And a super long time to wait for an update, too. I've been working on Nanowrimo, which has proved to be quite difficult, but I figured I'd try to put this one out for you guys. Thanksgiving gift, right? :) Next one should be up soon, at least I hope so. I've had a lot of rehearsals for a musical and various other things lately, so I'll do my best. Until then, however, au revoir. :)


	7. Chapter 7: Freeze

**Chapter 7: Freeze**

Three days later, Jill went in for a visit with Doctor Hardy to get a check-up.

She had just finished tending her plants and clearing the portion of field she had set as a goal for the day, and it was around eleven thirty in the morning. The weather was cool and drizzly, and Jill was grateful for the break in watering the crops. She still had to clear weeds, though, and that had taken a good portion of time.

After Hardy finished checking her head, arms, and legs, he offered to feed her some lunch. They sat together at his kitchen table, eating noodles with veggies, and gave her a short little report on her health. She was doing okay, he had said, but he'd really appreciate it if she'd sleep a little more at night in order to let her body heal more. Jill was only getting a good eight hours on a average night, thanks to nightmares, but she wasn't about to tell Hardy that.

"So, Pony," Hardy started after swallowing a bite of broccoli, "how do you like it in the valley so far?"

Jill smiled and sat up a little straighter. "It's lovely here," she replied. "Really, honestly lovely. I don't think I've ever been in a nicer place."

It wasn't a lie, either. She had to lie a lot, but the valley truly was one of the nicest areas she had ever visited or even lived in before.

Hardy smiled. "That's great. How's the farm going? Considering the tension in your muscles, I'd say you're working hard. Maybe a little too hard?" His eyes twinkled, but there was also a hint of seriousness in his voice, and Jill felt guilt rise up in her chest. Maybe she _should _start going to bed earlier...

"The farm's doing well," Jill replied after chewing some noodles. She wiped her mouth with the napkin to her left, and continued, "I'm expecting my turnips to be ready to harvest in a few days, which is good, because that will be my first profit of the season, other than shipping local plants and other foraged stuff. My other crops should be ready to harvest shortly, as well. I plan to build a coop with that money, because I've salvaged enough lumber from those deteriorated buildings where I have enough to build it."

Hardy nodded. "Wonderful. Do you like animals? Have you had experience with them before?"

Jill shrugged. "I volunteered at an animal shelter for a few years back home, and everyone told me I was pretty good with them. I worked on a farm for a few summers, too, and I really liked it. My real passion is writing, though."

"Really?" Hardy inquired. "I used to write when I was younger. Got a medicinal book published a good while ago, you know."

"Oh, that's really cool," Jill said, completely in awe. "It took me, like, at least two years to finish my first book, and after that I didn't have the energy to pick it back up again."

That was a lie. She had joined the organization right before she finished her first novel as a sixteen year old, but wasn't able to publish it because she had to keep a low profile if she wanted to stay in the crime business, and there was no way to do so with her name in Oxford Press.

They continued chatting for a while, and Jill was once again amazed at the height of her spirits. She was the most comfortable she had been in she didn't know how long, and she hadn't heard anything of the organization since the three days before when she read that article. Being isolated in a tiny town did have some pretty nice perks.

After they finished lunch and chatting, which was around twelve-thirty, Hardy handed her a squeeze tube and some herbs. He explained that it was for the gash on her leg, which had just started scabbing over, and she should apply it once in the morning and once in the evening in order to avoid any chances of infection. Jill accepted the medicine, and then began to put on her coat, which was hanging on the hook on the door alongside Hardy's striped scarf.

"Be careful not to stay out too long," Hardy warned. "You could get a cold from the rain."

"I'll be home by evening," Jill replied, zipping up the jacket. "Don't worry. And I'll probably stop by Celia's house sometime before that, too, so I'll stay dry."

"Alright, if you say so, Miss Pony," he said. "Eat dinner, too. Go to bed early!"

Jill opened and closed the door just as he said his last words, and she smiled. She had gotten used to being called Pony, and she saw it as more of a nickname than a codename, now. Maybe it helped that her best friend from middle school used to call her that, so it originally started as a nickname, anyway.

The rain fell from the sky lightly, like warm snowflakes, but Jill lowered her head a little bit to keep from getting her face wet. Brown hair that had escaped her loose ponytail flopped in front of her eyes, and she couldn't help but smile a bit as she pushed it away with her hand and then watched it fall back down again because it wasn't quite long enough to tuck behind her ear.

The girl was headed for the southern part of the valley. It was one of only three places she hadn't yet swept clear of lumber and weeds, and while she did have enough wood and material stone for a coop, she wanted to make sure she'd have some leftover, too, in case she needed to make any emergency repairs on the house. Plus, it was better to have something saved up because she could use it to work toward a new barn, too.

The first area she spotted was near Kasey and Patrick's house. They were the twin brothers who made fireworks and, according to Muffy, were often drunk at the bar. Jill smiled as she found lots of branches and stones to transform, and set to work, chopping and smashing and pulling weeds just to keep the field clear. She found some herbs and flowers, too, which she figured she'd either ship or give to Hardy and other townspeople.

She worked like that in the cool rain, feeling motivated, for about half an hour, and that was when she realized that the echo of her hammer wasn't an echo. She stopped moving for about five seconds, and listened to the sounds around her. Someone else was nearby, also hammering rocks and other material. But who? No one in the valley built their own homes, shacks, or other buildings except for her.

Jill narrowed her eyes and scanned the area, turning in a complete half circle before she found another figure in the distance. Judging by the person's brute size even from this far away (which was a good seventy feet) it was a man, and a big man at that. His skin was darker than anyone else she had met so far in the valley, and he was swinging his hammer at a particularly large boulder that didn't seem to want to budge.

Curious, Jill started walking through the rain to this man she had never seen before. Maybe he had gone to the festivals earlier that week, but she hadn't noticed him at all.

When she finally arrived at the boulder, he didn't even give her a glance or say any words. He just kept clobbering away at the rock, and Jill couldn't tell if it was sweat or rain gathering near his brow.

She cleared her throat, and he finally spared her a glance. After that tiny pause, though, he kept on working. Jill couldn't help but notice his well-used, slightly tattered clothing, and, again, she became full of curiosity. Finally, she gathered the courage to say, "Please don't take offense, but, uh, what are you doing?"

Without stopping, the man (Guy? Old dude? Jill couldn't even tell whether he was young or old) replied curtly, "Smashing this rock."

Jill smiled, and said, "Well, yeah, I can see that. But why?"

"Material," he replied, taking another swing, creating another _bang _that echoed through the air. "Inside the rock. There's iron, maybe."

"How do you know?" Jill asked, a little surprised there was iron in the valley.

"A hunch," he shrugged, and swung again.

Well, he certainly was a man of few words, Jill decided. But few words or lots, a single person, even of his size, wasn't going to crack open that boulder. It was bigger than her, even though she was only a good five feet tall.

"Well, do you want help?" She asked.

The man glanced briefly at her arms, which hardly looked muscled even though they weren't paper-thin anymore, and then looked back at the rock and shrugged. "If you want."

Jill smiled, pulled up her hammer again, and went to the other side of the rock. Then they both swung their hammers simultaneously, creating a larger echo. They worked in silence, Jill focusing on the drumming noise of the rain as it gradually got heavier. She felt the drops fall down her neck and shivered, but continued working nonetheless, curious to see if this man's hunch was right and there truly was some sort of metal inside the rock.

The man grunted, and waved a hand at Jill. She stopped her hammer in mid-air, and watched as he tensed his arms and raised his own hammer high above his head. Then, with a small grunt, he swung the hammer down on the rock. A short but deep crack appeared where he hit the rock. He repeated this process again, swinging even harder this time. The crack widened. Again and again, he produced powerful swings, until finally the boulder became loose enough where after one final tap, the crack split completely and revealed the inside of the boulder.

It was in fact, to Jill's surprise and amazement, filled with some sort of metal. She let out a short breath, almost like a gasp, and watched as the man started to hack away at the inside of the rock with a smaller mallet. Jill caught on fairly quickly, and started using her own hammer to separate the metal from the inside of the boulder. She worked on the smaller pieces that had separated completely from the rock, while the man worked on the larger body. _It's almost like this rock is a freaking geode, _Jill thought.

Once they were done, the man pulled a large brown sack from over his shoulder, and they loaded the metal inside. It filled up the sack more than halfway, and Jill wondered what on earth he was going to do with the stuff.

"You want the stone?" He suddenly asked. Jill was confused at first, until he gestured to the material stone lying all around them.

"Yeah," Jill replied. "Actually, I do. I'll have to go home and get another bag, though. I don't think all of this will fit in my rucksack." _Even if it is made to be bigger on the inside, _Jill added inside her head.

"I've got one at my house," the man said. "It's right over there." He nodded his head toward a metal trailer, and Jill suddenly realized that this was the scary and intimidating guy Celia had talked about before, but she couldn't remember his name. Well, he didn't seem _too _bad. Still, the fact that he needed this much metal for something sparked her curiosity.

The man started walking toward the trailer, ducking his head against the rain, and Jill quietly followed. Her bangs were wet enough that they had all clumped together now, so she didn't even bother wiping them away from her face this time.

When they reached the strange structure of a house, the man opened the door, and allowed Jill to step inside before him. Jill had to keep herself from gasping in surprise. The only legitimate pieces of furniture in the house were the bed and the table. Everything else seemed to be a work of art made from metal that looked like it had been smashed together, not with a hammer, but with fists. The little circular indentations suggested that the metal had been shaped by a more natural form.

The floor was littered with little pieces of material, as well as smaller, pretty projects. One in particular that caught Jill's eye was a little silver vase with thin strips of something that looked like scrap metal, or maybe iron, curling up like flowers out of the bottom of the structure. The fluorescent lighting of the trailer made it glow dimly, giving the sculpture a mysterious but beautiful essence.

The man walked across the room and grabbed an empty sack off the floor, breaking Jill's trance, and then walked back and handed it to her.

"Did you make all these?" Jill asked, gesturing with her hand toward all of the sculptures and projects.

The man nodded. "Yeah."

"They're beautiful," Jill breathed. "Really. I love them."

"Thanks," the man mumbled, and Jill watched in amusement as an embarrassed expression crossed his features.

"Well, thanks for the bag," Jill said, taking the brown sack from his hands.

"Thanks for the metal."

Jill nodded, and began to walk out of the trailer, when she suddenly realized she still didn't know his name. She looked over her shoulder at him, and said, "I'm Pony, by the way."

"Cody," he grunted. _Ah, that's right, _Jill thought. _Cody. _

"Nice to meet you, Cody. See you around!" And with that she left the trailer and walked back out into the rain to collect her material stone, still smiling about the strange but amusing encounter.

• • •

Two hours and a change of clothes later, Jill had finished collecting material and was enjoying a cup of tea at Celia's house. She had been informed beforehand that Karen, Celia's best friend from Mineral Town, was going to be there. On Tuesdays, the two girls generally spent Karen's day off discussing various topics of interest in Celia's bedroom.

Now there were three girls talking about little things in Celia's attic.. Jill liked Karen so far. Much unlike Celia, Karen was fiery and passionate as well as sarcastic, but there was also a nice part of her. She was tough, but caring, according to Celia.

"So, Pony," Karen began after taking a sip of tea, "you run the farm here now?"

Jill nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I've been running it for the past three days, and I only got here a few days before that, but I like it here so far."

"That's cool," Karen smiled. "I have a friend who helps his mom and sister with the poultry shop in Mineral Town."

Celia giggled, and said, "I'd hardly call him a friend_, _Karen." She turned to Jill, and continued, "His name is Rick, and he's Karen's _fiancée._"

A hint of pink appeared on Karen's cheeks, and Jill couldn't help but smile, too.

"Hey, that's my business, not yours!" Karen cried, and grabbed a pillow off of Celia's bed and hit her with it. Celia smiled even wider.

"But I'm the first one you told besides your family," Celia laughed. "You ran all the way here from Mineral Town the day it happened, and it wasn't even a Tuesday."

"Oh, quiet, Celia. You don't know anything."

"Oh yes I do!"

The girls giggled, and Jill eventually said, "Congratulations then, Karen. When's the wedding? You must be really excited."

"It's in a season or so," Karen said giddily. "And I'm _very _excited. You're welcome to come to the ceremony and reception, Pony. I invited everyone in the valley and Mineral Town. It'd be rude of me not to invite you, too." She gave Jill a once over, and then joked, "Plus, I guess you're alright, other than your horse stench."

Jill set her tea down, giggling. "I don't even _own _a horse, thank you! But it's really nice of you to invite me. I'll be sure to save the date."

The conversation carried on in a light-hearted way, and the time passed quickly. Jill thought about the organization once or twice, but her spirits picked up again with about the same speed that they dropped. By the time they finished their tea and talking it was past four o'clock, and Jill was feeling pretty tired. Last night she had more nightmares than usual, and, thus, lost more sleep.

"Well, guys, I've got more work to do," Jill eventually said during a break in the conversation, "so I guess I should head out. I'll see you later though, Celia. And Karen, feel free to drop in on my house next time you're in the valley."

"Will do, Pony," Karen replied. "It was really nice to meet you. Have a great evening!"

"Bye, Pony!"

Jill left shortly after. The air was cooler than the afternoon, and the rain had subsided enough that she didn't have to duck her head while walking. Marlin and Vesta were out working in the fields, pulling weeds around the turnips and planting new seeds after they harvested the other crops. Marlin looked up from his worked and Jill waved shyly. He nodded and then bent back down to tend to the turnips, and Jill smiled. Elvis' reincarnation was very anti-social, and that was a fact.

Once she got to the bridge over the creek leading to the other side of town, Jill felt her stomach squeeze and her throat went dry. These physical reactions had been happening every day since she nearly drowned, and Jill wondered if her body had developed a phobia of water and swimming. She would have to work on that. It wasn't good to have a weakness, especially if the organization was still after her.

Thoughts like these convinced Jill that it was still going to take a long, long time for her to fully forget about the organization, and Hawk and his pigs. But she was improving even within these first few days, and she was happier than she had ever remembered being.

It was an easy walk after the passed the bridge. Jill decided on not going back to the farm, but she didn't really want to see anyone, either, so she settled for just taking a stroll through town. Maybe there were some flowers or herbs she had missed on her earlier investigation.

This plan was quickly ruined, however, as soon as Jill came in sight of the bar. The door to the small building opened and out came Muffy, looking like she had just been attacked by a pack of raccoons. Well, maybe not that drastic, but she looked pretty bad. Her blond hair was ruffled and her face was slightly pale. The almost-too-short brown skirt she was wearing was creased in weird spots, and she looked like she hadn't slept last night or something.

"Pony!" She cried when she spotted the brunette. "Oh, Pony, I'm so glad to see you!"

"Why? Is something wrong?" Jill asked as Muffy threw her arms around the much shorter girl.

Muffy let go of Jill and sniffled. "It's the most horrible thing, Pony. Griffin and I found a note from that Phantom Thief this morning. It said he's going to come to our bar tonight and steal something!" She paused, smiling a little, and then said, "His confidence is pretty attractive." She straightened her face again, and then said, "But still, we have to catch him, and I don't know what to do! I don't suppose you'll help us, will you, Pony?"

Many reactions and thoughts rushed through Jill's head as she went through the pros and cons of helping. Pros: get a chance to steal information from Skye again, help Muffy and Griffin, get Skye arrested. Cons: possibly fall into a horrible trap, expose skills as an agent/thief/whatever, lose more sleep. The obvious answer was to say no in order to protect herself (and, in the long run, protect her new friends), but something in the back of her head said go for it.

And so, she went for it.

"Yeah, sure, of course I'll help," Jill replied. "When should I come by?"

Muffy's face lit up like a child's on Christmas. "Thank you _so _much, Jill!" She threw her arms around Jill yet again, and then continued, "You should probably come by sometime around after ten. Don't, like, bring a gun or anything. Griffin and I will try to have some sort of plan made up by the time you get here."

"Alright," Jill nodded. "I should probably get back to my farm and finish some more work, then. I'll see you at ten."

"Bye!" Muffy said as Jill started walking away. "Thanks, Pony! You're a life saver!"

The rain was falling gently again, and Jill's thoughts were pitter-pattering in her brain, as well. Catch the thief, or keep him to get more information? Maybe she wouldn't even have to catch him. Maybe he'd win. Wouldn't that be something?

She tried not to think about it too much, but Jill could probably be classified as the greatest crime boss of all time, even though she wasn't even head of any sort of organization. Hawk was the boss of all the bosses, and Jill had escaped him. It was his fault, of course: he had taken her under his wing, he was her mentor, she learned from him. He should have predicted that if he showed her any shady side of the business that she didn't anticipate or desire, she would rebel. If he showed her anything at all that she didn't want to be a part of, she would leave. She would run. And she did.

The fact that she had escaped from him, Hawk, a one-syllable word that sent shivers down the spine of anyone that knew him, was pretty much impossible. But she was escaped, and had been for a year. And not only that, but she had exposed Project X to the government through two hack codes and a flash drive, thus ruining a plan he had carried on for generations of crime leaders.

If that wasn't impressive, she didn't know what was. But really, it was much less satisfying to think about than you would believe.

Jill spent the hours until ten o'clock writing in her journal and lounging around her house, trying to keep her thoughts away from things she didn't prefer to think about. It was easier when she was around people, and maybe that was the reason why she surrounded herself with her new friends most of the time. When she was with others, it was easier to realize that she was indeed a good person, she had just had a few bumps in the road on the way of becoming one.

At nine o'clock Jill was becoming so exhausted she debated bailing on Muffy and Griffin and going to bed. It was all she could do not to lie down and fall asleep in her work clothes. Still, she went on, pacing across her main room in order to stay awake. Her thoughts wondered to good things, like Karen's engagement and her new acquaintance, Cody. She let herself linger on thoughts of Marlin, the anti-social Elvis, as well as Celia and Muffy.

Finally, at nine fifty-five, Jill started her walk to the bar. The rain clouds had cleared enough that she could see the stars bright and twinkling in the dark sky, not covered with smoke like they used to be in the city that was miles and miles and miles away.

She stepped inside of the bar at exactly ten-oh-five. Griffin and Muffy were much less solemn than she expected them to be, but that let Jill relax a little. Last time, at Lumina's house, no one had been hurt, and no violent acts had happened. Maybe this Skye wasn't so serious after all.

They were relaxing at the bar, Jill swirling her spoon around in a mug of hot chocolate, when Muffy suddenly said, "Mmm...what's that smell?"

Jill inhaled deeply, and realized that Muffy was right. There was a peculiar smell. It wasn't any type of dangerous gas, though. Jill had practically memorized the scent of those. It was more like...curry?

"It smells good," Griffin commented. "Hey, Muffy, maybe we should go check it out. Pony, do you mind staying here?"

"Uh, sure, I'll stay," Jill replied, and then they were out the door within seconds, probably excited to try and solve the case of the mysterious smell.

Five minutes passed. After she heard their mumbling voices disappear, Jill hopped down from the stool, and started heading toward the door to make sure they were okay.

Just as she reached for the doorknob, it opened. But instead of Griffin or Muffy coming to relieve her post, it was Skye.

As soon as the two made eye contact, they both froze. Just like the first time, they stood there staring at each other for multiple seconds. Jill was unable to comprehend why she didn't feel like she could move. Instead, she was caught up in reading the thief's expression, and his eyes, which she hadn't really been close enough to analyze last time. They were a combination of blue, green, and gray, but there was something else beside color in his irises. Age. It was something Jill saw in her own eyes whenever she looked in the mirror. She was only nineteen, and yet whenever she looked in her eyes, she saw old age. They had seen too much in this lifetime to be young.

Skye blinked, and the trance broke, shattering like a glass dropped on a stone floor. He smiled charmingly, and said, "Well, if it isn't Pony, my fair maiden. We meet again. It seems that fate has decided to treat me kindly tonight."

Jill smiled in a charming way, as well, trying hard not to giggle at his dialect. _Come on, Jill, _she thought. _This is a thief, not a prince. _Still, it was difficult to believe he was a threat when, once again, he was wearing that leopard print suit.

"Could it be fate?" Jill pondered aloud, watching with more amusement as Skye played along and walked a step closer to her. She had been so close to the door before that now they were only inches apart.

"I don't suppose you're going to kiss me this time instead of tackling me to the floor?" Skye chuckled.

"You stole my friend's necklace," Jill shrugged. "That justifies the tackling. And besides, I don't kiss thieves."

Skye gave her a funny look after that, a look that had underlying meaning, and Jill probably could have picked up the significance if the expression hadn't disappeared so quickly.

"Well," Skye breathed, his charming façade apparent once again, "tonight I'm here to steal a lovely drink that is very valuable, so you can either look the other way, or you can try, and fail, to capture me."

Jill moved a hand quickly to try and deliver a blow to his gut, but he caught it just in time, and twisted her around so that she was facing the door again, one arm caught uncomfortably behind her back. Her body wasn't as used to the hurt as it had been days before, but she managed to hold back a cry of pain and settled for gritting her teeth quietly instead.

"I really don't want to hurt you," Skye said, his voice unexpectedly sincere. "I don't hurt people. I'm not a monster, as I explained at our last meeting. I'm sorry that your arm is uncomfortable at the moment, but it's necessary."

"You're rather perplexing, you know that?" Jill said breathlessly, and she was a little surprised at the teasing tone of her voice.

"Or so I've been told," Skye chuckled. His mouth was uncomfortably close to Jill's neck, and she resisted the urge to shiver as his breath tickled her collarbone. "Now," he said, "I'm going to let you go, but only for a moment or two. Get into a somewhat comfortable position, okay?"

"Wait, why? I mean, no, I'm not going to do that! You do realize-,"

Skye abruptly let her go, and Jill used the two split seconds to gain her bearings. She twirled around to face him, let her arm drop limply, and was about to reach out and try to pin him down again when suddenly he put his arm up and shouted, "Chick-beam, fire!"

Something tucked in his hand started to glow, and Jill was so surprised that she froze. Then there was light. The flash was blinding for about two seconds, and then everything went normal again.

Everything except for the fact that Jill couldn't move.

• • •


	8. Chapter 8: Pêcher du Jour

**A/N: **Prepare yourself for a longer than usual A/N. Sorry.

If you can translate the title without google, you win a special prize. (except not really but you know)

Also, sometimes Natsume is crazy and decides to give the Harvest Goddess two completely different personalities. In some of the DS games she is all "toodles" and "OMG I'm the Harvest Goddess!", whereas in the console games (especially the wii) she is much more, "I am the Harvest Goddess. I care for all living creatures, especially you, farmer child. I speak fairly fancily and I act like a rightful Harvest Goddes probably would." If you couldn't tell by my biased examples, I much more prefer the latter personality, so that's what I'm using in the story. Yeah. Just thought I'd clear things up for ya. Enjoy. :)

Oh, and if you love me (and/or this story) you'll review. Because I don't ask often for them but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate them. In fact I really very much do appreciate them, and therefore, to be really awesome, you should review. yeah. ;)

**Chapter 8: Pêcher du Jour**

After she realized she couldn't move, Jill felt several things in her body happen at once. Her throat squeezed like a snake around prey, and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. Her muscles went limp and yet stayed very tight at the same time, almost as if they had been encased with plastic wrap. The tips of her fingers and toes felt like they had been buried in snow for hours, so cold they were numb to everything she might have tried touching.

"Relax," Skye said, his voice soothing. "You'll be able to breathe again in about five seconds, maiden. And then you'll be able to shuffle and talk a bit, too, but not enough to catch me. I came a little more prepared this time. It seems that I underestimated you at our last meeting. But you'll be okay, I promise."

And he was right. Five seconds later, Jill felt the ice leave her fingertips and feet, and her throat opened again. She gasped for breath, feeling like she had just nearly drowned on air. The only thing that remained highly uncomfortable were her muscles, which were still very tense, but she was able to wiggle her fingertips and move her feet slightly.

When her tongue and mouth gained feeling again, she said, "Well, that was an experience. What did you just do, anyway?"

"High technology," Skye shrugged, stepping around her and toward the counter. "It's...complicated. The only side effect I've ever heard of anyone experiencing is that they feel a little dizzy afterward, but that's it. You'll regain full feeling by the time I'm done here."

Jill turned her body as much as she could to face the thief, who was now looking through the bottles of expensive wine and beer on the shelves behind the counter.

_Maybe I can occupy him, _Jill thought. _Get him to stay until I'm unfrozen. _

Her mind raced to come up with a topic of conversation as Skye continued to sort through different colored bottles. Eventually, she said, "So, why are you a thief, my good sir?"

She heard Skye chuckle, and then he replied, "I can't tell you that. That would ruin the mystique of our relationship."

"But I want to know. It's not everyday one has the chance to interview a well-known Phantom Thief," she teased. "Do you do it for fun?"

"So you really want to learn about me, huh?" Skye chuckled. He ran a hand through his strangely silver hair, and then crouched down to look at some of the lower shelves. "Well, tell you what. Catch me a few times, and I'll tell you some things about me. But only as long as you tell me some things about you. Because last time I interviewed you, miss Pony, you didn't have the cleanest hands, either."

Ignoring his comment, Jill asked, "How do I catch you if every time I see you, you've either stolen something from my friend or you freeze me solid? Or both, for that matter."

Skye finally settled with an expensive-looking bottle of wine from the middle shelf, and then replied, "I'm not always trying to steal things. Most of the time I'm trying to plan _how _to steal things, or visiting the spring." His face darkened. "I'm still trying to bring back the Harvest Goddess, you know."

"So am I," Jill said. "That's why I took over the farm."

Skye froze. "You did?"

Jill nodded.

He turned to her again, another strange expression on his face. "So you're staying here then?"

"I hope to stay for a while, yes," Jill replied, suddenly turning suspicious. "Why?"

Skye walked toward her, his face sad. "Just be careful. There are some less than desirable people around here, beautiful. I wouldn't want you to get caught up with the wrong crowd."

"This coming from the guy wearing a leopard suit who steals stuff from innocent people in a tiny village," Jill scoffed. "Thanks, but I'll take my chances."

Skye sighed. "You and me, we're alike. We have to watch each others' backs, that's all I'm saying."

Anger bubbled in Jill's stomach. She attempted to keep herself in check as she said coolly, "We are nothing alike. I don't know what you're talking about."

Skye looked like he was about to reply when they both suddenly heard mumbling outside. Jill couldn't make out exactly what the two voices were saying, but she recognized them as Muffy and Griffin, and her heart leapt within her chest. She didn't have answers and they were already back. _I suppose I'll have to play his game, then, _Jill thought.

"Well, I guess that's my cue," Skye said, coming out from behind the counter. He smiled at her, and continued, "Really, though, just be careful. I wouldn't want to see a pretty face like yours cry when I have to say 'I told you so.'"

"I doubt you'll get the chance," Jill replied. Shortly after her reply, he walked out the door and into the calm and starry night, stolen wine in hand.

_Wow, _she thought. _He actually won. He kind of cheated, but still. He actually won. _

Before Jill could replay the whole thing in her head, the door opened again, and in walked Muffy and Griffin.

"Strange," Muffy said. "I could have sworn we smelt something suspicious, and delicious, outside. Pony, did anything happen?"

"Uh, yeah," Jill replied. "Phantom Skye came, froze me solid, and then stole a bottle of wine from behind the counter, up on those shelves. But, you know, other than that, nothing important."

"Oh my Goddess!" Muffy cried, just as Griffin rushed up to Jill and touched her shoulder. He felt burning hot, and Jill probably would have flinched were she not still frozen. Instead, her reaction was more of a clumsy stumble. _At least I've got feeling in my legs again, _she thought.

"You're ice cold," Griffin mumbled as he helped Jill regain her balance. "We should get you to Doctor Hardy."

"No, I'm fine, really," Jill replied, attempting to wiggle around, even though her body still felt really weird. "He said not to panic, and that it would wear off soon after he left. Not that I really trust thieves, but, you know."

Meanwhile, Muffy walked behind the counter, heels clicking, and investigated the shelves. Sure enough, she found the empty space where the wine had once rested, and sighed. "He took the Okuhattan, Griffin," she said.

Griffin's face fell, and he let out a low whistle. "That's one of our oldest and most expensive wines. Still, at least no one was hurt. That thief sure is sly."

Muffy sat back down at the counter and rested her head on one hand. "I'm sorry we just left you, Pony. That was stupid."

"It's no problem, really," Jill replied, and found that her body was warm enough that she could shrug. In fact, she could move a lot of appendages now. "I'll be alright."

"Next time you want a drink or meal from us, it's on the house," Griffin said. "But for now, you should probably go home and get some rest. If you can move, of course."

Jill nodded. "I'll make it home okay. I'm pretty tired. I'll see you guys tomorrow, or something." She was warm enough to move, but she probably looked really awkward trying to relearn how to walk.

Nonetheless she left quickly, not even thinking about trying to follow Skye in the dark.

• • •

It was always the same dream.

It started with people. Faces. Faces in pain, crying children, angry adults. Then there was blood. And then there was fire. Buildings tumbled in on their own foundations, and seconds later turned to ashes. She stood, watching at the sidelines in horror, hiding behind nearby trees, gardens, fences, streetlights, anything that sufficed as a barrier between her and the burning buildings and the people. Everywhere, people died. The sorrow squeezed her chest so much that she felt like she might explode.

The images blurred until she was in a bright room, calculating things on a sheet of paper, rearranging fake atomic structures, creating. She created it. She created the monster, but only under his instruction. So was it his fault, or hers?

Then she was in another room, a darker one, and the only noise other than her own rapid breath was the clicking of a keyboard. She entered numbers, read documents, saved them onto her flashdrive, repeated the process. And then she left. All it took was two codes. You'd think it would have been better protected.

Her only mistake was leaving the door open. It was a tiny, amateur mistake, and she, the greatest apprentice of all time, had committed it.

Then there was an alarm, and more pain, and more suffering, and more running, but this time it was her running and her suffering, not her victims'. And she finally realized why it had always bothered her so much, being in the business, and she wondered why she hadn't left sooner, why she didn't escape while she still could have. The thoughts drove her to the point of insanity, and then there was a small light. A small, tiny light. Salvation.

That light appeared frequently, but was then distinguished within seconds.

And so she continued running, running through the dark forests of her dreams, trying to find questions she didn't dare ask aloud, for fear that the answers would be what she did not want to hear.

Deep within her heart, she knew. It was her fault. She had done all of it. And for what reward? Money? A sense of accomplishment? Pride? To feel like she was worth something other than the average teenage girl? To show that she was better than everyone else?

Because really, she was so, so much worse.

Then, that night, the dream changed. She was running through the forests again, about to trip and fall and have it end like always: the bad things finally caught up to her and ate her alive. Then, very suddenly, a glowing blue pond appeared at the bottom of the hill. She tried to avoid falling in, tried to grab a branch, anything, but it was too late.

Everything went bright.

And then there was softness.

She was lying on something soft and fresh smelling. Grass.

Jill lifted her head. _For a dream, _she thought, _this is strangely vivid. _

The field she was lying in seemed to go on for miles, all just grass and wildflowers. The pond she fell into had disappeared, but a sky just as blue stretched above her in a dome shape. Jill sat up, and felt her beating heart slow down. Outside of her dreams she was able to think much more clearly. Her life wasn't as bad as her subconscious made it out to be. She was okay. She was safe, at least for now. But it was still strange that a dream was this alive.

It was then that the image of a beautiful woman slowly faded into view in front of Jill. Her hair was green and went down her back in two long braids, and she was wearing a dress that looked fit for a fairy princess. It appeared to be made out of nearly translucent rainbow fabric and hovered in the air, an invisible and untouchable force somehow keeping it afloat.

"Jill," the woman spoke. Her voice sounded like wind chimes on a rainy day: soft and comforting. "Do you know who I am?"

Jill was surprised that someone used her real name at first, and then she realized that it was a dream. Of course her own conscious would know her name.

Nonetheless, Jill shook her head and played along. "No," she replied. "I'm sorry to say I don't know who you are."

The woman smiled a bit. "I am the Harvest Goddess, Jill. And no, this is not a dream. You're in a delicate area between life and death. A bridge, you could call it. I've summoned you here once before, I think, back when you were much younger. Do you remember?"

Realization dawned on the girl. "Yes...I do remember," Jill replied. "How could I forget? I was like six, I think, and you comforted me about the death of my Grandfather."

The Goddess nodded, and gracefully sat down on the grass only about a foot away from Jill. "Yes, that's right," the Goddess said. "You were so young back then. Your hair has grown a bit, too. But I've been watching you for a long time now."

Jill felt the tears come to her eyes, and she tried desperately to blink them back. "I thought you'd abandoned me. I was so scared. I've had such strong faith since that time when I was six. Even when I was in the Organization I still believed in you."

The Goddess smiled gently. "I meant to contact you long ago, after you exposed the files, to tell you things were going to be alright, but the truth is I was sent to a different dimension by the Witch Princess, and, well, things got complicated, as you can imagine. I haven't had the power until now to summon you. But now that you've taken up the farm again I've regained some of my strength. My life source resides in that farm, you see. Realistically, I could use my own magic to get myself out of the other world, but without the strength of the valley, I cannot. At least, not yet."

"So I have helped," Jill said, the relief thick in her voice.

"Yes," the Goddess replied. "You've helped a great deal. But it doesn't matter. I'd never abandon you, Jill."

Jill felt like a small child as the Goddess curled a nearly see-through hand around her own. She was forgiven. She was, and always had been, forgiven. The news sent her heart soaring like a phoenix through the sky.

"I summoned you here to tell you that," the Goddess continued. "And also to never give up. You are a beautiful, wonderful girl, Jill, no matter how much it troubles you to believe it. I know you're confused as to why you did some of things you did, but it was never truly your fault. You were under command of someone else, and you knew in your heart it was wrong. You were always different from the others because you recognized that. That's why I chose you to end this. I know you are strong enough to survive. I know that your heart can love anyone and anything, and it can endure through the times that have passed and the times that are still to come."

"Times that are still to come?" Jill asked. "What do you mean?"

"I cannot reveal the future to any of my followers," she said sadly. "I wish I could, but I cannot break a tradition that has lasted since the beginning of time, Jill. I can tell you this, though. Let yourself be helped, let yourself lose the skin that became rough from wear and tear, and become loving again. Do this, and you will rise on top in the end. But if you remain tough and untrusting of those around you, you will fall further than before, my dear child." The Goddess then looked down at the hand she was holding Jill's hand with. It was slowly beginning to fade in appearance.

"I'm losing my power," she explained. "But I'll try to contact you again soon, Jill, I promise. Don't give up."

"Wait, Goddess," Jill began as the woman began to fade faster, "how do I know who to trust? What about what Skye said?"

Her reply was quieter than a whisper, carried by a soft breeze that ran past Jill's ear. "In order to trust others, you must first trust yourself. And then you will know who you can and cannot believe."

Once the Goddess was gone, Jill half-smiled, and murmured, "Well, that's more of a riddle than an answer, but I'll try."

• • •

The next afternoon Jill found herself at the mine, digging up artifacts side-by-side with Flora and Carter. She had shipped her first batch of turnips that morning and was excitedly anticipating five o'clock, which was when Thomas would come by to give her the payment for that day. For now, though, she would settle with digging up jewelry in a dusty pit by the waterfall.

After uncovering yet another pearl necklace, Jill commented, "This place is like one of those sandboxes with prizes that you find at museums, but for grown-ups."

Flora laughed quietly, and replied, "Yes, I suppose it is. Carter and I have a theory that his ancestors, who used to live here, buried their valuables before dying so that they would be safe in the after-life."

"Isn't that what Egyptians believe?" Jill asked, putting the necklace in her rucksack on top of a brooch, bracelet, and a pair of earrings.

Flora nodded. "Similar to it, yes. So no one ever bothered to dig up thousands of years worth of jewelry."

"This place is more of a gold mine than a place to find artifacts," Carter commented from across the room. "But we do find some interesting stone tablets every so often, as well. The rest of the stuff we just sell off to Van. He gives us up to three thousand gold pieces per jewelry, if we do the bartering right."

"Who's Van?" Jill asked.

"A merchant that comes to the valley on days that end in three and eight," Flora explained. "He started coming pretty recently. Two weeks ago, I think. You can get really good bargains selling and buying stuff from him, but...well...he's a little strange."

"I'll have to meet him sometime, I guess," Jill replied. "Selling all this jewelry to him would be one step closer to me getting that chicken coop."

Flora nodded, and then they were quiet after that. Jill focused on her work, looking for more brooches, or maybe another bracelet. She moved to another area a few times, using her feet to detect any extra crunching in the ground or a strange feeling lump. Over the course of another half hour, she found another bracelet and also a set of earrings, but at that point she was pretty tired from having to swing her hoe and a shovel around all the time, so she decided to take a break and maybe head to the spring or the bar to see her friends.

After a brief goodbye with Carter and Flora, Jill started walking down the waterfall path back to Vesta's farm area. Her breathing sped up a bit because she was so close to the water, but the waterfall spray was cool and soothing. Today was warmer than the spring days so far, and Jill didn't feel the need to wear a jacket so much as she had the first few days of the season.

At the farm area, Celia, Marlin, and Vesta were all working out in the fields again. Celia waved happily to Jill, and Jill returned the gesture. She then continued walking toward the main part of town, only to realize that there was a strange noise coming from behind her. It sounded like a combination of the squeaking of wood and horse hooves. A cart?

Jill looked back and saw two people, a man and a woman, both maybe three years older than her, riding in a little uncovered buggy fairly close behind. She realized that neither of them had noticed she was there yet, so she quickly stepped off to the side of the road, tripping over her own feet in the process. Jill let her hands break her fall, ignoring the small stinging sensation when they touched the dirt.

"Whoooa," a man's voice said, and the rattling noise stopped. A young man dressed in a white lab coat jumped out of the buggy and helped her up. "Sorry. I missed you completely. Are you alright?"

Jill dusted herself off and nodded. "Yeah, fine. And it's okay, I understand. I heard you, anyway."

The man's face suddenly lit up, and he said, "Wait, I've never seen you around before. Are you new?"

"Yeah," Jill replied. "I took over the new farm a few days ago. I'm Pony."

His face changed again, and some unreadable expression appeared in his eyes. "So you're the famous Pony! Doctor Hardy has told me a lot about his newest patient. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, miss Pony. I'm Trent, the doctor in Mineral town." He gestured to the younger girl in the buggy, and continued, "This is my secretary and nurse, Ellie."

Ellie, who had a sweet face framed with short brown hair, waved at Jill shyly. "Pleased to meet you as well, Pony."

"Do you need a ride to town?" Trent asked. "After what happened a few seconds ago, I'd feel bad not making it up to you somehow."

"No, I'm alright, thanks," Jill replied courteously. "I like walking. Besides, I'm just heading to the spring. It's right over there." She pointed toward the path to said spring, and Trent nodded.

"I see. Well, I'm very sorry for nearly running you over. If you ever require anything of me or Ellie, feel free to ask."

"I will, thank you," Jill replied as he hopped back into the buggy. After a curt nod, he clicked at the horse, and they were off down the path again, toward the valley. _Probably to visit Hardy, _Jill thought to herself.

She was about to continue walking to the spring when she heard a voice call from the field, "Too bad Marlin wasn't there to save you again, Pony!" Jill turned and saw Vesta, her smile huge. "You alright?"

"I'm fine, thanks!" Jill yelled back. "How's the work going?"

"Not as fun without you," Vesta replied.

Jill laughed. "Whenever you need an extra hand, just tell me! I'd be glad to after all you guys have done for me!"

Vesta simply smiled again in reply, and then Jill was on her way again, hopefully with no buggy accidents this time.

She only spent an hour or so enjoying the peaceful atmosphere at the spring, and then she realized that it was nearing five o'clock. In other words, it was time to collect her first big profit from Thomas, the mayor in Mineral Town. With a small but noticeable skip in her step, she started on the path home, feeling cautiously optimistic. She had already saved up a good amount of cash and lumber from the deteriorated buildings. If she made enough from this crop, she'd be able to hire someone to build a chicken coop, thus taking her one step closer to owning animals. The thought made her heart flutter.

Thomas was waiting for her by the shipping bin when she made it to her farm. She ran up to him, feeling bad for being a little late, and said breathlessly, "Hi, Thomas. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"I haven't been here long, don't worry," Thomas replied, tipping his huge red hat. "Anyway, here are your profits for today." He handed Jill a wad of money, _self-earned money_, and Jill couldn't help but grin hugely.

"It is exhilarating the first time, isn't it?" He smiled. "You've done well these first few days. I look forward to working with you more, Pony."

Jill nodded, and Thomas left the farm. Once he was gone from the path, Jill took out her wad of money and started to carefully count it. One thousand, two thousand, three thousand dollars. _Perfect. This is great, _Jill thought, counting the money again. She smiled gleefully at her success. Her money. Not money gained by stealing or suffering or any type of bad thing. Instead of destroying something, she had grown it. For the first time ever in her life, Jill had made a profit from something _good. _

And because of that, she felt marvelous.

• • •

It was six in the evening. Hardy was sitting with Trent in his house, quietly discussing matters of the week other than Pony, even though she was the main point of interest for the evening, when suddenly there was a knock.

Trent stood up first, and opened the door. On the other side stood Thomas, clad in his usual red clown-ish outfit that always caused Trent to try and stifle a bit of laughter.

"Ah, Trent," Thomas beamed. "Good to see you, my boy. Is Hardy in there, too?"

"Yes," Hardy replied from the chair he was sitting in. He stood up and walked toward the entrance. "Good evening, Thomas. What can I do for you?"

"Oh, not much, not much at all," Thomas replied, "I just have a letter for you, from Sunshine Islands. Here you go, sir." He fumbled around in a little brown sack for a moment, and then handed Hardy an unnaturally gray envelope. "Have a nice evening now, you two. I'll see you some other time. Lots of things to do, you see!"

After saying goodbye, Hardy shut the door silently, staring at the envelope in his hands.

"He really hates that job, you know," Trent chuckled. Hardy barely heard him. He was still processing the return address on the envelope.

_Taro Colt_

_Sunshine Islands_

"Trent," Hardy mumbled, "it's from Taro."

Trent's head snapped up. His chuckling stopped immediately, and his smile replaced with a stony expression. "You don't think...?"

"Look at the color of the envelope," Hardy replied, giving it to Trent. The gray shined like fish scales in the dying sunlight of the evening. Hardy lowered his voice even further, and then asked, "Trent, how did he manage to get this by Hawk, do you think?"

Trent shrugged. "I have no idea. But...Hardy, could this mean that Taro knows? How did he find out?"

"He's the oldest of all of us," Hardy sighed. "Not to mention the wisest. But before we jump to conclusions, maybe we should actually read it."

Trent nodded, and, with a shaking hand, passed the letter back to Hardy who, just as uncertain, ripped open the envelope. The paper inside had been neatly folded in thirds, and the handwriting was almost as bad as chicken scratch, but Hardy managed to make out the few sentences anyway.

_Might want to start being more careful, Michael. Hawk is sure to notice a change in economics, wherever it may be and however small it may be. After all, I did. So how'd you find her? I heard from sources she might've been coming your way. And are you certain it's actually her, or are you and Trent mistaken again? Because we know where that got us last time. _

_Either way, I want in. _

_-Taro_

His face grave, Hardy looked back up at Trent. He probably didn't have to say anything, but he murmured the words anyway. "He knows."

• • •


	9. Chapter 9: Preparations

**Chapter 9: Preparations**

A week passed. Life in the valley steadily became easier and even more enjoyable, and Jill found herself loving every minute of it. It was so easy for the people of the valley to take the serenity they had for granted, but she was able to look around at her surroundings and list off hundreds of things she was grateful for.

The weather was perfect as she walked on the path away from her farm and toward the main part of town. The sun, a big, intense orb of optimism, floated high in the noontime sky. Not a cloud was in sight. It truly was a Forget-Me-Not day.

Jill was headed toward the Inn. It was the thirteenth of spring, and she wanted to finally meet this Van guy. She had been digging at the waterfall sight for a few days straight but hadn't been able to sell anything to him on the eighth because she had dedicated the entire day to her new friends and a minimal amount of farm work. Now she was expecting a huge profit, especially if what Carter and Flora said was true. Three thousand per jewelry item was a lot of money, and Jill had at least twenty jewelry pieces. That totaled up to sixty thousand dollars, an amount that would certainly be put toward the improvement of her farm and the valley conditions, along with the well being of the Harvest Goddess. The livelier the farm and town, the more chance the Goddess had of not only contacting Jill again, but having enough power to get herself out of the other dimension.

A little bell rang when Jill opened the door of the Inn. Ruby, who was standing at the counter, looked up and smiled. The two had become fairly good friends because Jill usually came to shower at the Inn once a day (unless she was feeling particularly dirty in the morning, then it was twice), thus giving them a chance to converse for a few minutes every evening.

"Hi, Pony," she greeted warmly. "What can I do for you? You look pretty clean."

Jill smiled, and replied, "Actually, I was wondering where Van is. I mean...he is here, right?"

Ruby's face lit up. "Oh, yes! He's upstairs, a passage after Nami's room at the very end of the hall. You'll see him as soon as you turn the corner." She lowered her voice, and continued, "And if you're especially good with words, Pony, you might be able to get a few extra gold pieces out of him. Just keep that in mind, dear. Good luck."

"Thanks, Ruby," Jill said, and nodded at her. Then, she proceeded to half-walk, half-skip up the stairway to the left of the main entrance. She had only been to the second floor once or twice before, once to see Nami, and another time to do Ruby a favor by waking up Rock, who had slept in until noon. He had been shirtless, but had also been sleeping with a pink teddy bear. To say the least, it was an interesting experience for Jill, as he was exemplifying a strange combination of manhood and, well, baby.

Once she turned the corner of the second hallway, she saw Van. He was a big man, both wide and tall, much bigger than Jill had expected, and was dressed in a red European outfit with blue pants and suspenders. He wore tiny black-framed spectacles, and there had been so much wax applied to his black mustache that it almost sparkled in the light of the hallway.

Despite his amusing appearance, Jill felt somewhat uneasy. Something about his demeanor suggested differently than his friendly clothing. And why was he so tucked away like this?

Still, she figured there was no turning back now. He had seen her, she couldn't just say "oops, sorry" and turn around. That would be super awkward, andshe needed the money.

So, Jill pushed her doubt down to the very bottom of her stomach, and walked down the hallway. Van looked up at her and smiled hugely. "Welcome, welcome!" he said. His voice traveled across the passage so loudly that Jill almost flinched. "A new customer, it's so good to meet you! What's your name, girl?"

"Pony," she replied quietly. She was about to explain her purpose, but he cut her off again quickly.

"Pony, what a great name!" He chuckled. "Do you like horses? I could set you up with some horse reins, or an authentic western jar with little foals painted on it. How about a saddle?" He smiled a little too brightly, and knocked on the little cardboard box that served as his desk. "You wouldn't believe how much stuff I can store under here."

"No thanks," she replied. Before he could offer her another item, she continued, "I'm actually here because I have a lot of jewelry I dug up from the mine, and I was wondering if I could sell them to you." She removed her rucksack from her shoulders and dumped one pocket of contents on the cardboard box. Out tumbled bracelets, brooches, necklaces, and various other tiny gemstone delicacies.

Van eyed the jewelry with enthusiasm. "Oh, would you look at these beauties," he murmured, moving his spectacles to the very edge of his pointed nose. He picked up one of the earrings and held it to the light, carefully inspecting the way the tiny diamond sparkled a rainbow of colors.

"Yes, yes, these sell very well in the market," he continued, and put the earring back down. "I'll give you two thousand. Each. I won't go any higher."

Jill smiled. He was pretty good, cleverer than she expected him to be. His kind veneer was slowly fading to reveal a devilish salesman, which Jill's subconscious had probably picked up, and that's why he gave her such a bad vibe.

Making herself focus again on the matter at hand, she replied, "Actually, Van, I was thinking these are worth more like three thousand five hundred a piece. Don't you agree that's a more reasonable price?"

Van scowled just a bit, but then he fixed it and smiled a little coyly once again. "Well, how about we lower that to two thousand seven hundred? That's as high as I'll go, miss Pony," he said. His voice sounded like it was crawling now, which was a tone Jill used to hear frequently back at the black market that teamed up with the organization. The thought made her shiver a bit on the inside.

From past experience, Jill knew that she would lose the bargain if she didn't make a compromise, so she came up with an offer in her head quickly. "Here, I know," she began. "I'll take two thousand seven hundred for everything, except the necklaces. For those, I want three thousand. That seems pretty fair, seeing as there are only five necklaces in this pile."

Van eyed her a bit suspiciously, and then stuck out a pudgy hand for her to shake. "Deal," he said. He scooped up all of the jewelry on the table, dropped it into something under the box she couldn't see, and then reached for a little bag that was on the left of the counter. Quickly, he counted out several gold pieces, and then handed the right amount to Jill.

Her eyes widened. She had expected him to pay in check. Not many people, not even salespeople, would have the appropriate amount of hard gold to pay her fully.

Van noticed, and quickly covered her suspicion by chuckling, "I'll have to go to the bank now, Pony. But thank you very much for your business. I look forward to seeing you again soon." His kind façade was back up again, she noted.

Jill nodded silently, and turned around, not bothering to count the gold to see if it was enough before heading toward the exit. She was still shocked. He had paid her in all hundred pieces, of course, but it was still a bit strange he had managed to gather that much profit somewhere.

_You're just crazy, _Jill thought to herself. _He's overweight and tall, he's just reminding you of the Pigs back at the organization. You're fine, Jill. Don't freak out. _

That thought helped calm her down. He did look something like a Pig. It was probably her self-conscious kicking in (second time today, silly thing) and freaking out over something that wasn't even legitimate.

She turned another corner and started heading down the staircase. At the bottom Jill was surprised to find herself face-to-face with Muffy. Today, the blond was adorned in a purple mini dress with a little black shrug. In Jill's opinion she looked like she was going to an expensive dinner party rather than a walk in the valley, but that was Muffy for you, and that was the way everyone liked her.

"Pony! Ruby told me you'd probably come down soon," Muffy said, smiling. "Come on, walk with me. We have to go to Celia's house. We've got so much to do before tomorrow!"

They started walking to the exit of the Inn, and Jill asked, "Tomorrow? What's so special about tomorrow?"

As Muffy pushed open the door and they walked outside, her draw pretty much dropped to her shoulders, making a _pop_ noise. "_Tomorrow, _is the Spring Thanksgiving! Did you never do it where you came from?"

"Frankly, I don't even know what the Spring Thanksgiving is, Muff," Jill laughed. "But please, you seem pretty excited about it, so enlighten me."

At this point they were walking across the bridge to Vesta's farm. Jill noticed that Muffy was walking at a faster pace than usual, probably because she was so excited about whatever this festival was.

"The Spring Thanksgiving," Muffy explained, "is a day where a boy that likes you - well, like, _likes _you, gives you cookies! And if he _really_ likesyou, he gives you _chocolate chip_ cookies!"

"You sound like a first grader when you say _like_," Jill giggled.

"Oh, hush," Muffy pouted, and poked Jill in the shoulder. "Anyway, that's the tradition, but us young people in the valley always have a big picnic at the spring, and we play games and stuff, and it's really fun, and this year me, Celia, and Karen are in charge of planning it! Everyone from Mineral Town is coming, too. It will be a great chance for you to mingle and meet some cute guys, Pony! And, you know, make more girl friends. It's awesome, I promise."

"Don't worry," Jill smiled. "I'll come. Actually, it sounds like a lot of fun. So I get to help plan, too, right?"

"Of course," Muffy said. "That's why I'm dragging you to Celia's house to meet with her and Karen, as well as me, of course. Celia's feeding us lunch, too, and with Karen there it ought to be super extra fun."

Muffy's never-ending stream of teenager-ness never ceased to amaze Jill. Then again, she supposed she used to be that way, too, but then the whole running thing happened and life got serious. The festival sounded fun, though, and that was another thing Jill missed: fun. Here in the valley, she was finally getting it again.

The pair had hardly waited half a second after they arrived at the house when the door swung wide open, and Karen appeared. "Hi, guys," she said, smiling hugely. "I'm so excited. Celia's making sandwiches for us. Come in, come in."

She ushered the two inside the house, which was pleasantly airy and comfortable, jut like always. The windows in the kitchen were open, which let in the spring breeze and the light scent of growing crops and wildflowers. Jill inhaled deeply, and then took a seat at the kitchen table next to Muffy. Karen handed her a cup of tea as well as a glass of water, which Jill gratefully accepted.

After a few minutes and some small talk, Celia joined them along with a platter of mini sandwiches so elegant that they looked like they belonged in an old 1950's movie. Karen, being Karen, took two sandwiches and ate them immediately, whereas Muffy took a dainty bite of her first sandwich. Celia and Jill exchanged an amused, knowing glance and ate their sandwiches at a fairly normal rate.

"So," Karen began, "first off, we need to settle on a theme."

Muffy was about to speak up, but Jill interrupted, "Wait, you mean this festival is tomorrow, and y'all haven't even come up with a theme yet?"

"Did you just say y'all?"

"That's besides the point," Jill said, ignoring the comment. "You don't have a theme, guys?"

Celia smiled, and replied, "The tradition is not to plan _anything _until the day before the festival. So, no, we don't have a theme."

"Oh, okay," Jill said. "I guess it's a good thing there's four of us then. All the more people for brainstorming."

"Really, though, did you say y'all?"

"Shut up, Muffy."

The girls all giggled except for Jill, who tried to be serious as she took another sip of tea. It was both amusing and a little sad that Muffy had pointed out Jill's rupture in speech. Most of the time she tried to act professional but light-hearted, but when she got comfortable (like around her family and friends, who were mostly gone, hence the sad part) she started using expressions like y'all. The happy part was that she was comfortable enough to say the word. The other sad part was that she might have to leave the valley someday. But that was a topic she had grown used to not thinking about, because it was too contradictory to think about.

"Anyway," Muffy smiled. "Back to business. I think the theme should be wildflowers. We've got plenty of those around the spring, and we can spread the petals everywhere."

"Maybe," Karen said, "but hasn't that been done like twice before?"

Muffy shrugged. "Yeah, but it's always pretty."

As Jill listened to them debate a bit, she started thinking. Coming up for the theme was like coming up for a theme for prom, only this was a picnic, so some things had to change. They needed natural light, so it had to be during the day, unless they had moonlight.

Suddenly Jill remembered. Fourteenth. The fourteenth of spring was always a full moon. Thank Goddess for the weird little facts she had learned from her also weird little astronomy teacher in high school.

"Guys!" she said excitedly. Muffy and Karen stopped discussing the wildflower theme, and looked at Jill. "We should do a Starry Night Picnic. How cool would that be? Tomorrow's a full moon, so we'd have plenty of light! Wouldn't it be gorgeous, reflecting off the pond and the magical-glow-y flowers and everything?" Jill mentally face palmed when she realized she had said the words magical-glow-y flowers, another casual phrase, but kept smiling nonetheless.

Celia brightened. "That's a great idea, Pony. The firefly flowers - that's what they're called - will reflect the moonlight like lanterns. We've never done something like this before, and last time there were complaints that no one got to spend time with their families during the festival because they were at the picnic all day. This way they can spend the day with their family, and the evening at the picnic."

Muffy and Karen both beamed at the exact same time. "That's perfect, Pony," Karen breathed, just as Muffy sang, "You are amazing!"

More preparations then commenced. The girls went to Celia's closet and found various big sheets of blue, black, silver, and white fabric that they could use as picnic blankets, and then they divvied out food responsibilities. Muffy would be responsible for drinks, Karen for snacks, and Jill would help Celia prepare some small main courses that would be good picnic food. Then there was the matter of decorations, which Muffy promised to take care of.

All of the preparations took at least three more hours, and the end of it left Jill feeling both giddy and exhausted. Thinking of things to please the younger residents that were also practical enough to pull off was a difficult task, but one they had achieved nonetheless.

"Oh, Celia! Karen!" Muffy said suddenly when they were debriefing the various tasks for each person. "Do you guys know what you're going to wear?"

"Probably that one black dress I have," Karen shrugged. "And I'll bet you ten gold pieces that Celia will wear her white one."

Celia smiled and nodded, but Jill was slightly confused. "Wait...dress?"

Muffy nodded, but then her face abruptly turned into one of complete and utter horror. "Oh my Goddess, Pony, you don't have a dress!" She turned to the other two girls, and asked in a rush, "Can you two take care of informing everyone of the time and theme of the picnic? I've got to get Jill a dress before she collects her profits from Mayor Thomas at five."

"Of course," Karen nodded. "Come on, Celia, let's go." She turned to Jill, and then continued, "Good luck, Pony. Muffy's a pretty tough fashion critique. She doesn't let you choose what you want to wear unless she's certain it looks good."

"That's not true!" Muffy cried as they walked outside.

"Oh, yes it is!" Celia yelled back, and then closed the door quietly behind her.

When Muffy got going in fashion, nothing stopped her. The blond practically dragged Jill back to the blue bar in thirty seconds flat, explaining in a rush that she had tons of dresses but they'd have to scrap all of the red, yellow, and orange ones, because that would clash with the theme. By the end of the first hour, Jill knew Celia and Karen were right. Muffy was quite the critic.

Jill had tried on most of Muffy's closet and almost every dress had been thrown in the "no" pile on Muffy's bed. Two dresses, a long shimmering white dress that Jill thought was overkill and a black dress that Jill had to admit was sexy but also overkill, had been put in the "yes" pile.

Jill was beginning to remember why she hated dresses so much. She loved looking pretty, of course, but being so short (she sized up to a whopping five foot one) meant that she had to either wear long dresses or ridiculously short dresses. Everything else just looked silly. Her hair was also a tangled mess, but Muffy assured the small female that she had a solution for that.

It wasn't until another ten minutes and three dresses passed (one of them was a very lovely forest green that Jill liked but Muffy detested) that they finally found the perfect one. Jill stepped in front of the mirror to inspect the new look. The skirt of the dress was navy blue, pleated silk that only went down to mid-thigh, making her look a bit taller than she actually was. The silver one-inch heels Muffy had forced her to strap on helped as well. The top of the dress was black and accentuated her curves but didn't make her look like she was out to get some dudes. She just wanted to look cute, thus proved by the little black blow tied around her waist that separated the top part of the dress from the bottom.

"It's flawless," Muffy breathed. "I've always been too tall to wear that dress. You should keep it. You look great; the perfect combination of cute and hot."

Jill fussed a bit with the hem of the skirt, and replied, "I wouldn't go that far, but I do like it. So we can stick with this one?"

Muffy nodded. "Yep. I think we're done here."

"Thank Goddess," Jill breathed, and flopped onto the bed next to Muffy. "What time is the festival tomorrow? I need sleep. That was exhausting."

"Uh, not until like eight, I think. Sound good?"

"Great."

"But I'm coming over to help with your hair and makeup at six. Celia and Karen will come, too, so you have to be awake by then."

"Screw you."

"I love you, too, Pony."

• • •

The next day at six o'clock sharp, Muffy arrived along with Celia and Karen. Jill had finished her farm work and spent the majority of the day relaxing (ignoring Muffy and Celia's request to spend the day with their families) and taking some naps to catch up on sleep. She tended to get fewer nightmares when she wasn't sleeping at night, for some reason. Maybe the light shining through her window made her feel safer.

As soon as the girls got there, Celia and Karen got ready in the main room, while Muffy ushered Jill straight to the girl's miniscule bathroom. (If you could even call it a bathroom. There was no shower and the toilet didn't always function properly.) There was a mirror and a sink, though, and Muffy promised that was all they needed in order to fix Jill's hair.

Said "fixing" involved lots of painful yanks with a wire brush and then a much more relaxing head massage with some sort of fancy product Muffy used in her own hair. Then, when Jill's hair wasn't as damp from the gel, Muffy took a curling iron from her bag.

"Oh, no," Jill said, putting her hands up protectively by her face. "You are _not_ curling my hair. Last time someone tried curling my hair, they burned me like three times, Muffy." 'Last time' had been in sixth grade with a friend Jill didn't even know the whereabouts of anymore, but still. Young or old, burns from hair disasters stick in one's memory for a very long time.

"Don't worry, Pony," Muffy smiled. "I do this literally everyday, unless on some slim chance it looks alright natural. I'm really good, I promise. And I'll keep the heat low, too. Come on, it will look so pretty. Please?"

Jill sighed. "I don't have power in this bathroom, so you wouldn't be able to even if I let you."

"What? Yes, you do," Muffy giggled. "Seriously. It's right there, Pony."

Muffy pointed to a tiny electrical outlet that blended in with the wall. Jill had never noticed it before. Her jaw dropped.

"How did I not notice that?!" the brunette cried. "Seriously, I've been trying to find an electric outlet since I moved her so I could be reassured I wasn't totally disconnected from the rest of the world!"

"There's one in your living room, too," Muffy continued. "That's why your phone hasn't been working. You couldn't find the outlet. They all blend in with the walls, and that one was under a table, too, so it was shadowy and stuff. But I plugged it in for you, so no worries."

Jill pouted. "How do you _do _that, Muffy?"

The blond shrugged. "When you curl your hair everyday, you learn to find an outlet anywhere possible, even if it seems like there isn't one within like two miles. Anyway, we should get started so Celia and Karen don't get impatient."

Jill smiled. "Celia? Impatient? I don't think I've heard those two words in a sentence yet. Karen, though..."

"I heard that!" Karen shouted from the main room. Muffy and Jill quietly giggled.

Muffy was right about getting started. It took her at least half an hour to do a good job curling Jill's hair but, as promised, Jill was left with no burn scars, which she was very grateful for.

Then there was the matter of getting into the dress. Jill was angry with herself because she had forgotten to apply makeup to her shoulder wound that morning. Most of her scars had faded enough that they wouldn't be very noticeable, but the shoulder scar was one that would probably stay for a good while, and would be a lot more noticeable even in the moonlight. Yesterday, changing hadn't been a problem, because Muffy had just focused on something else in her room while Jill put on the various dresses, but now they were squeezed in a tiny bathroom, so it was possible she would notice something.

As Jill was mulling over these thoughts in her head, she inspected Muffy. The blond was now fixing her own hair. She had already curled it that morning, but she was fixing some "rough spots," as she said. Muffy's outfit consisted of an elegant dark purple dress that went down to her ankles, as well as three-inch black heels. She promised to take them off during games, though. She didn't want a well-planned outfit to ruin her fun. Her curly hair was accented with a black headband, complete with an artificial purple flower.

"I don't suppose you'll wear makeup, will you?" Muffy suddenly asked, catching Jill by surprise.

"Nope. That's where I'm putting my foot down," Jill replied. _Unless it's for my shoulder._ "Sorry. It's a bother to get off, and the remover stuff irritates my skin." At least that ending part was true. She preferred wearing shirts with sleeves so she didn't have to worry about the makeup leaving a rash.

"Fair enough," Muffy replied. Then, her face brightened. "Come on, you need to get into your dress. Celia and Karen are going to freak when they see you."

"They'll freak when they see you, too. You look great," Jill said, smiling.

"Yeah, but I always wear dresses. We've never seen you all dolled up."

Jill shrugged. "Yeah, well..." She glanced in the mirror, pretending to act very interested in a stray eyelash on her cheek, and continued, "Actually, could you give me a second? I'm second-guessing that makeup. How about you go out and talk to Celia and Karen while I change and put some on."

"Well, okay," Muffy said. "But hurry up, we have to be getting to the festival soon."

As soon as Muffy was gone, Jill started to undress. Thankfully, the blond had left her little purple bag of cosmetics on the sink, and Jill could use her makeup. She slipped the silky blue fabric of the dress over her head, taking a tiny moment to admire herself in the mirror. The dress was very pretty, and Jill couldn't help but smile at her hair, too. It looked really pretty curled compared to her traditional messy ponytail, but she was too lazy to curl her hair every day like Muffy.

After she put on the dress, she sifted through the cosmetic bag, looking for the case of cover-up. When she found it, she took it out and started applying some to the scar on her shoulder. The blemish was only about the size of a quarter, but the wound itself had covered her entire body. Jill shuddered at the thought. Getting shot was something she didn't really want to go through a second time, but, knowing her, it would very well happen again someday.

Once the wound was covered, she applied a tiny bit of mascara to her lashes, just so she could prove to Muffy that she had in fact put on some makeup. She was just about to leave when she remembered one more thing. The key.

Jill kneeled down to look through the pile of her clothes on the floor until she found the necklace that she had taken off only about a minute before. It hung on a chain and was tiny, but not only was it the key to her journal but also her safety. If someone got a hold of the key they got a hold of the flash drive, and that would be bad. Very, very bad.

For that reason, Jill knew she couldn't just wear the key around her neck at this party. There was no way to conceal it under a shirt, because the top of the dress didn't reach her collarbone, so it was too short. The thought of hiding it at home made her equally uneasy, though, because Jill knew that her door had no lock on it. Of course no one in the valley would steal from her, but if Skye was out for a stroll tonight, then that was something totally different.

Jill eventually settled with wearing the key around her neck. It was probably safest with her, anyway, and she could hide it under the décolletage of her dress if she clasped it on the last ring. Hopefully everyone would just assume it was a regular necklace or something, and they wouldn't notice it in the moonlight.

After all of this preparation (which, in reality, only took about five minutes), Jill stepped back into the main room. Celia was sitting on Jill's bed, fixing up Karen's hair, and Muffy was prattling on about some new fashion in a magazine. Celia was the first one who noticed Jill enter quietly, and her eyes widened a bit once she saw the small girl.

"Pony, you look great," Celia breathed. Karen and Muffy also looked up and smiled. "I wouldn't be surprised if some guy from Mineral town fell over at your feet. Or even here, in the valley. Gustafa's single, you know."

Jill laughed. "While I admire Gustufa's guitar skills, I think his nose would be a problem if I tried kissing him. Thanks anyway, though, and you guys don't look too shabby yourself."

The other girls stood up, and Jill was able to get a better look at them. Karen was wearing a dress similar to Muffy's in elegance, but it was black and had a bit lower of a neckline. She was also wearing heels, but Jill assumed she had the same plan as Muffy when it came to shoes versus having fun.

Celia, on the other hand, was wearing a white, short dress, and while she looked very pretty, it was a more conservative dress. Unlike the other three girls, she was wearing cute ballet flats.

_Better for running, _Jill thought, and she suddenly became a bit uneasy. What if, for some reason, she needed to run during the party, other than for a picnic? Her heels were shorter than Karen and Muffy's, but if she was going to run for a while and not on the spongy grass at the spring, she was going to want decent shoes.

Before she could ponder the idea more, Muffy said, "Well, we should probably get going. We have to be the first ones there, or else it will make us look bad."

"Yes," Karen laughed, "because the valley and Mineral Town people are all about being on time to an adolescent picnic."

Jill couldn't help but smile at this comment as the four girls walked out the door.

• • •


	10. Chapter 10: Brass Veneers

**Chapter 10: Brass Veneers**

The girls arrived at the Goddess Pond about ten minutes before the festival started. It certainly looked fit for a picnic. The pretty scraps of fabric they had found yesterday were laid out in front of the pond, and an area of field was cleared to make room for games. Picnic baskets full of food and drinks were set up in various places, and the sky was beginning to darken just enough so that the firefly flowers held a faint glow.

After some final preparations, the young residents of the valley and Mineral Town began to creep in, one by one or pair by pair and sometimes group by group. The pond quickly filled with a little more than twenty adolescents, and Jill couldn't help but smile proudly as they marveled over the decorations and setting.

There were a few new faces, but Jill could recognize everyone from the valley as well as Trent, Ellie, Gray (who she had met once while digging up artifacts), and Popouri (who came to the valley to talk to Takakura sometimes). Everyone was dressed in their best clothing but also looked prepared to have fun running around and being, well, young.

Five minutes into the picnic, Jill felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Karen with a stocky guy about their age dressed in a tuxedo.

"Pony, this is Rick," Karen explained. "He's my fiancée."

Rick smiled and stuck a hand out for Jill to shake. The brunette couldn't help but be a bit surprised at his appearance. He was less Karen-worthy than she imagined him to be. Not that he wasn't attractive, of course, but she had expected a big muscle-y dude you'd expect to find at a bar late at night. Rick looked more like he owned a farm. Jill couldn't help but laugh inwardly at that, because she owned a farm, too. Did she look so country-ish to others?

"Pleased to meet you, Pony," Rick said. He had a fairly deep voice for being a not-so-macho guy. "Karen's told me a lot about you. All good, of course. I hear you're running the farm in the valley now?"

Jill nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Do you like it?"

"I love it, actually. It's great growing things, and I'm looking forward to getting some chickens soon," Jill explained.

"That's great!" Rick smiled. "Chickens are the best. Not as messy as livestock or as hard to handle, and still give you a good profit if you have good quality eggs."

The conversation continued as such, and eventually Karen, Rick, and Jill took a seat next to Celia and Marlin at a picnic blanket to eat some food. The plan was to eat first and then play games afterward.

Like Rick, Marlin didn't look too shabby either. He had made the effort to put on a black shirt with a light green tie, but he was still wearing the same old grumpy expression. Jill smiled a bit when she realized that Vesta had probably forced him to come. The girl's smile widened even more when she noticed the tint of red on Celia's cheeks and, though barely noticeable in the moonlight, it was obvious what the source of her embarrassment was.

While taking a bite of a cheese sandwich she had helped Celia prepare the day before, Jill scouted the area for Muffy. She was sitting by Griffin and two people from Mineral Town that Jill didn't recognize, but she seemed to be having fun, which made Jill feel a little less bad for basically ditching her. Then again, Muffy wasn't really ditch-able, because as soon as you left her, she just found a new person to go talk to.

Everything seemed quiet and pleasant enough, and Jill gradually relaxed and let herself have a good time. Eating took at least a half hour, and then a little craziness ensued when the cookies were brought out of the picnic basket. Each boy took his turn bringing a cookie to his favorite girl. Jill didn't expect to receive any, but she did end up getting one from Griffin. According to him it was just "out of courtesy for a pretty lady like herself," and Jill was more than okay with that. She munched on the chocolate chips while she watched a slightly awkward but cute exchange between Flora and Carter. Carter had apparently burned his cookies, and Flora was making a little fuss about it, even though Jill heard that Flora wasn't the best cook herself.

She spent most of the dinner observing, throwing in a few comments to the conversation now and then. That was how she worked most of the time. Alone with one other person she could talk for hours, but at big group gatherings she preferred to listen and laugh and learn about people. She watched Karen and Rick and the way they interacted, Rick being the responsible one and always careful not to make a show of his affection, Karen always ignoring his silent requests and holding his hand and rubbing his back anyway. It was funny watching them sub consciously debate about what was publicly acceptable. Jill wondered if they even realized what they were doing.

Finally the time came for games. It was getting darker every minute, but by this time the firefly flowers were fully glowing, setting the pond ablaze in sparkles. The field turned a shade of silvery gray underneath the moon, and the air was still warm, thus creating a perfect atmosphere. Celia quietly told Jill that she had been spot on for the theme choice, and Jill only replied by smiling a bit wider and nodding.

The first game was freeze tag. Jill couldn't believe they were actually playing such a childish game, but she went along with it anyway and found herself out of breath and giggling within minutes. It was amusing, to say the least, to watch Gray run around and try to catch Trent while his hat (which, of course, he hadn't taken off even for the party) kept flying off of his head. Trent was the only one left, so whenever Gray's hat would fall off, the doctor would dash to try and unfreeze someone as quietly as possible, but Gray was always too quick and the match ended in a stalemate of sorts. Trent touched Ellie's shoulder just as Gray touched Trent, thus leaving everyone frozen.

They played another round of freeze tag, but this time Jill was stuck being "it." She had taken off her shoes in order to run, and she had to admit that running on the spongy grass made her almost giddy with delight. She felt like a kid again. It was easy to see why the people of the valley enjoyed their festivals so much.

Little did the valley people know, however, that Jill was fast, and she was smart, too, so they wouldn't be able to win. She was in the middle of a mad dash with Muffy (who was squealing like a pig running from a butcher) when Griffin called out, "Pony, where'd you learn to run like that?!"

"You learn to run when you're being attacked by a bear!" Jill yelled back, laughing. She didn't even think about the fact that that whole story was a lie. Tonight she was Pony. Tonight she fit in with her life in the valley. She wasn't Jill, who had caused so many problems, so much sorrow. She was Pony, a carefree girl who ran like the wind.

Much to her own dismay, Jill didn't win the match of freeze tag. Muffy somehow managed to tap Gray, who then proceeded to unfreeze a girl with black hair Jill didn't recognize, and after that she lost track of who got unfrozen. She ended in a heap on the ground, giggling and panting from sheer exhaustion with the others whooping in celebration around her. Still, though, she didn't feel much like she had lost anything.

Trent helped her up off of the ground, and Jill smoothed out her dress and hair a bit before asking, "So, what's the next game? Does it involve running? Because if it does, I think I'll just go take a nap in the pond or something."

Quiet chuckles went around the circle of young adults, and Muffy replied, "Well, I think we should do Poison Dart Frog."

A murmur of excitement passed around like a ripple of water, and Jill asked, "What's that?"

Poison Dart Frog ended up being a game where everyone sat in a circle (which was pretty easy for them to do, even though some were a bit dizzy either from a little too much wine or all of the previous running). Then, a frog was chosen, as well as a detective. The frog "poisoned" people by sticking their tongue out and making eye contact with someone in the circle. A poisoned person had to die very dramatically, and then the detective had to try and guess who the frog was, but they only got three chances.

To Jill it was very simple. Being in the organization she had learned to read expressions and analyze people's thought processes, so she found it easy to figure out who the frog was, and not only because she made eye contact with the person and then died. She usually figured out who it was in the circle before anyone else did.

Eventually at the beginning of a round, Jill felt one tap on her head, which signaled that she was the new detective. A chorus of "oohs" came up when she scootched her way into the middle, probably grass staining her dress a bit in the process. "Ready, new girl?" A young woman with red hair called from across the circle.

"You betcha," Jill replied, though she knew she'd probably have to mask her intelligence if she wanted to avoid suspicion. She realized with a bit of regret that she was fading back to Jill because of this game, not Pony, but she pushed it away and waited patiently for the first "death" to come.

Within the first three people that died, Jill knew it was the girl with the black hair Gray had tagged earlier during freeze tag. She was quiet, sweet, and also very pretty, thus making her an unlikely suspect. Mostly what gave it away was that she blinked a bit too frequently to be innocent, and she also never made eye contact with Jill, even though both were probably subconscious actions.

She was deciding when it would be okay for her to call the black haired girl out when she heard the same redhead ask, "So, you know who it is yet, newbie?"

Jill froze. _So, you know who it is yet, newbie? _

Suddenly her vision blinked out, and she was sitting in a dark room at a desk with one other person. His breath smelled like a mixture of chewing tobacco and alcohol. His shoulders were too wide for his head, and his hands too big for his arms, but that made him all the more intimidating. He could probably crush her tiny carpel bones with just a short, single squeeze.

Jill watched him intently, waiting for any sign that the man was joking or that he was going to continue talking before she realized he was serious. He wanted to know if she had figured it out yet, if she knew who the betrayer was. She knew what they did to the ones who betrayed the organization. They tracked them down, hunted them like prey, then shot them on the spot, and left them wherever to die and rot. They killed the family and the friends. They did everything. Runaways paid the ultimate price.

She knew who it was. She wasn't stupid like the other apprentices. She had a brain, and Hawk knew that. Maybe that was why he had called her in so late at night, when no one else would hear. But she wasn't sure if she could give it away, she wasn't sure if she could be the cause for the death of a man and his family who simply wanted freedom.

"Well, are you going to talk, kid, or not?" Hawk asked coldly, and Jill couldn't help but shiver when his breath reached her nostrils.

She gulped, took a deep breath, and then, with shaking hands, pointed to one of three pictures on the desk. It was a man with dark, curly brown hair and thick eyebrows. He wasn't smiling in the picture, but that didn't make Jill feel much better. "Black, sir," she whispered. "It was Jonathan Black."

A smile curled onto Hawks' lips, and then he chuckled darkly. "Good, good," he said, his voice firm and terrifying. "I like you, newbie. How'd you like to be _my _apprentice?"

Jill felt like she was about to faint. The memory was something she had tried to hide away in the nooks and crannies of her mind, the part where she couldn't quite reach anything. Ann had brought the images back with just a single sentence, and that terrified her. She had worked so hard to conceal her past even from herself, and yet here a single person had summoned it back up again.

She probably would have stayed frozen and silent and uncomprehending of the world around her had Muffy not said, "Pony? Are you okay?"

Then it was like time started ticking again. Jill let out a quick breath, and then laughed a bit shakily. "Yeah, sorry, guys. I was lost in thought." She pointed to the girl with the black hair, and said, "I think it's you, but I don't know your name. Sorry."

The girl smiled gently, and then said, "Mary. I'm from Mineral Town."

"Hi Mary," Jill smiled back.

"Wow," Griffin said. "I don't think I've ever seen someone figure it out that fast before. Way to go, Pony."

Jill shrugged, attempting to cover up her dark streak on white paper. She had revealed the poison dart frog too early. "Lucky guess, I suppose."

No one seemed to acknowledge the fact that Jill had lost her cool for a good ten seconds or so, and that helped her slide smoothly back into the happy buzz she had maintained before. They played a few more rounds of Poison Dart Frog before Muffy announced that they'd finish up the night with a game of Capture the Flag. Karen pulled out two bright orange pieces of cloth from a picnic basket, and the group was divided into two groups. Jill was put in a group with Mary, the shy girl she had just met, Ann, Muffy, Celia, Griffin, Gray, Carter, Rick, and a few other people she didn't know.

They ended up hiding the flag under a big rock near the spring because it was within their boundaries and the most concealed spot. Her team had the open field and the pond, which was good for running because it was very open, but bad for hiding because there weren't a lot of rocks or foliage. The other team had the huge tree and a lot of undergrowth, so exactly opposite: bad for running, good for hiding.

Jill decided to play wherever she was needed. Sometimes she lingered around the border line and tagged trespassers, other times she took a turn looking on the opposite side trying to find the flag, which they had hidden extremely well. She tried to be careful and not act like she was on a mission from the organization, but sometimes it was just too easy to pinpoint the perfect shadows to hide behind and sneak around without being seen.

Within twenty minutes the opposing team found their flag. Thankfully, Gray was fast enough to tag Popouri, who had seen it under the rock, so they were still safe for the time being, at least until someone else crossed the border.

That was when something in the air caught her eye. Just barely shifting in the breeze was the other team's flag. They had hidden it on a high branch of the biggest tree, the one about ten feet from the border. Jill had to mentally congratulate whoever thought of that. It was a brilliant strategy. By the time anyone got up to the top branch, someone would notice the flag had been found and there would be a few people waiting at the bottom of the tree for the person to come down.

"I'll just have to climb quietly, then," Jill murmured to herself.

She blocked out the excited yelps and shouts of her friends and grabbed on to a branch that was hidden in the shadows. It was sturdy enough, but she still stuck to the inside of the branch where it met the trunk for better safety. She also tested every branch with her foot before applying any weight.

Gradually, the girl made her way diagonally across the tree. No one had spotted her yet because she had chosen to stay on the inside branches, where she was hidden by the leaves. Just as her fingers brushed the flag, however, a shout came from below.

"Pony found the flag!" a male voice called.

_Aw, screw you, Rock, _Jill thought, looking down to see the blond guy jumping and pointing at her. She grabbed the orange fabric quickly, seizing the opportunity where everyone was still in a bit of shock, and started scaling back down the tree.

Now came the decision: show off and win the game but possibly make some people suspicious of her skills, or blow it and have her pride crushed.

It wasn't much of a choice. She was a natural born runner, a natural born winner. She knew that, even at the sake of her exposure, she'd win anyway. That was probably her biggest fault and her biggest triumph, as well as the only reason Hawk hadn't found her yet. She liked to win far too much.

Rock and Karen were already anticipating her descend at the bottom of the tree, but Jill had a different plan in mind. She found a relatively thick middle branch where they couldn't reach her, pulled herself up, and then stood slowly, attempting to balance herself on the piece of wood.

Karen was laughing, but she also looked a bit frightened when she called from about five feet below, "Pony, what are you _doing?!_"

"Um, I'm not sure yet!" Jill replied fairly honestly. "But no need to worry about me! I'm like a monkey, Karen!"

Jill took a few steps forward. The branch was just big enough to hold her two feet if she stood sideways, so she'd have to treat it like a tightrope. By this point there were about five people from the ground watching her. It wasn't that high up. She'd chosen a somewhat low branch, just high enough where Karen wouldn't be able to reach her when she stood.

About five seconds later, she launched.

She had done things similar to the jump before, only it used to be from building to building and a little longer distance, so this stunt was really nothing. One time she had some cops on her tail and she lost them by jumping to a different rooftop. The trick was rolling during the landing so that the landing weight went through the entire body, not just the feet. Never before had she been injured. Hopefully this time would be the same.

Once Jill saw the ground about a second or two away from her, she ducked, braced for impact, and then rolled. She felt the soft grass slip like water under her body, grateful that her dress was made of silk and didn't create much friction.

With Karen and Rock only about five feet behind, she was up and running before the breath of relief left her lungs. The border was about ten feet behind, an easy jog for someone who used to run miles daily.

It was over in a matter of moments. On the other side she was greeted with cheers and high fives from both her friends and the other people she didn't know. Muffy, the last one to congratulate her, asked, "How did you do that, Pony? That was crazy!"

Jill couldn't help but smile hugely, and she replied, "I don't really know. I just kind of balanced and then ducked and rolled. And I held on to the flag, of course." She lifted up the streak of orange fabric a little higher, and Muffy took it from her.

"That was so cool," Muffy sighed. "You're, like, an acrobat, or something!"

"I wouldn't go that far," Jill laughed. _More like a past criminal who had training from the best people and facilities, but, you know, no big deal. _

She engaged in many more similar conversations before the whole event ending. Most of the couples and singles stayed to help pick up the supplies, including Jill. She brushed off most of the compliments on how nice it was to have her, and also got another cookie, this time from Trent.

"Sorry I can't stay to help clean up," Trent sighed. "But Ellie and I should really get back. There will be lots of stomachaches tomorrow from so many sweets today."

"It's no problem," Jill replied. "Thanks for coming! It was tons of fun!"

"Thank you for organizing all of this," Trent said, and then he chuckled. "And what you did tonight, all of that, was very impressive. Were you a gymnast, or...?"

Jill didn't think much before she replied. "You could say that, yeah."

Trent gave her a somewhat peculiar look, and then he was smiling again. He left with Ellie shortly after, and it took Jill about ten seconds to realize she might have said something that totally gave her cover away.

_Oh well, _she thought. _It's not like Trent is with the organization. I'd probably know by now. He isn't as suspicious as someone like Skye, or even Van. _

It was around eleven o'clock by the time they had finished cleaning the spring. Muffy, Celia, Karen, Rick, and Jill were the last ones there. After a few short and tired goodbyes, Jill decided it was time to go home and sleep so she could actually get up the next morning.

They had done a good job cleaning up, Jill noted as she made her way down the path to her farm. The only evidence anything had gone on during the night was that there were a lot more shoeprints on the path than usual. It had been a great party, and Jill was in high spirits as she said a small prayer of thanks to the Goddess in her head and made her way back to her farm.

Those high spirits were ruined as soon as Jill set foot in her house.

The place was a mess. Her bed was overturned, the small number of furniture pieces she owned had been pushed aside or knocked over, and all of her clothes were strewn across the floor, dresser drawers open.

Jill's hand immediately flew to her neck. The key. It was still there. She let out a quiet breath of relief, and then began to investigate the clutter a bit more thoroughly.

Her rucksack was still under the bed just as she had left it, only now the contents were scattered on the floor. Nothing had been stolen, though, not even the journal or any of her money, and as Jill continued to investigate the bedroom and the bathroom she realized that whoever had come hadn't found what they were looking for.

Jill felt both violated and amused. Whoever had broken into her house was certainly not from the organization. It was protocol that whatever you touched, you put back. That way the owner could find less evidence that something had been taken, or if the target were something small, they wouldn't notice at all. Only an amateur thief could have been here, and the only thief in the valley Jill knew of was Skye.

Still, though, Skye didn't seem like the type to leave a mess. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned, trying to think. Who could it be, and what were they after? The key was the obvious answer to the second question, but she was drawing a blank on the first. It couldn't have been anyone at the party, so that meant it had to be one of the older people in the valley. But who?

It was then that she noticed the cookies. There was a whole plate of them, covered in plastic wrap, just sitting on the floor near her window. Despite the mess in the rest of the room, the cookies hadn't been touched, which meant they'd either arrived after the break-in or during it.

Upon closer analysis, Jill discovered a small yellow sticky note attached to the plastic wrap.

_Happy Spring Thanksgiving. Decided I wouldn't crash the party and ruin your fun, but I figured you might at least appreciate some of my fine cookies. Don't worry, I didn't poison them. Thief's honor._

_-Skye_

Jill smiled a bit when she saw the words "thief's honor." It was a joke in the crime world, almost like "break a leg" in theater. Thief's honor was like swearing on the Goddess, just that normal people didn't realize it, so it really only worked to say it in the crime world.

When she moved to pick up the note, she realized the cookies were still faintly warm, which meant not only had they been baked recently, but they'd been delivered very recently, too. And if they were from Skye, then he was still somewhere nearby.

Driven by her own curiosity and desire for answers (whether about the break-in or about Skye himself, she wasn't sure), Jill picked up the plate of cookies and quickly ran outside. The moon was still high in the sky, so she could see faintly. The first stop, obviously, was the spring. Skye had probably just missed the people who left the party late. If he wasn't still there, she could follow the path out of the valley, but if she couldn't find him by that time he had probably disappeared to who knows where.

Instead of walking on the path, Jill took a quicker route and quietly stepped through the forest that separated her from the spring. She made note not to step on any branches, just in case Skye was on his guard and he heard and tried to run. He had, after all, promised that if she caught him she would get answers, and so catch him she would.

Jill was disappointed when she reached the edge of the forest and looked out toward the spring to see no Skye. Instead there was just silence and firefly flowers.

She was about to break through the foliage and head down the path when suddenly, however, there was movement. He slipped out from behind the big oak tree, the one she had climbed only an hour before, and crouched down near the spring, gazing into its depths thoughtfully. She could only see his back, and was surprised to find that tonight he was only wearing a gray t-shirt and black pants. No leopard jacket.

"So you're going to leave me a plate of cookies and no one to share them with, Leopard Boy?" Jill called out quietly. "Just a little maiden to eat this whole plate by herself? That's not very courteous of you. You could have at least stayed for tea."

As Jill stepped through the trees, he shifted enough to see her, and smirked. "Sorry, Pony," he chuckled. "Though I'm impressed by your perception. I was hoping you wouldn't notice the cookies were still warm. A fighter _and _smart. I just find out more about you everyday, don't I?"

Jill was only a little shocked that he actually called her by name, and not "maiden" or "beautiful." First the leopard jacket, and now casual speaking? Something was different about Skye tonight. Maybe that was what compelled her to take a seat less than a foot next to him. She averted his gaze, and instead looked directly into the calm pool in front of her.

"Yes, you do find more about me," Jill said, setting the plate of cookies down between them. "And now that I've caught you, I expect you to tell me some about you."

"Fair enough," Skye replied quietly. "Ask away."

"Whatever I want?"

"To an extent."

Jill searched her mind for questions, and was surprised with herself when she decided to start out with something so irrelevant. "Why no jacket tonight?"

Skye chuckled. "Such a simple question. I would have thought you would want to know background information. But as for an answer," he glanced down at his t-shirt, and then continued, "I'm off duty tonight, you could say. I wear that jacket so I have an identity. But tonight I'm not the phantom. I'm not here to steal. I'm just me." He glanced at Jill, and smiled. "If I had known you were going to be so dressed up, though, I would have taken the time to wear a suit coat or something."

A little embarrassed, Jill looked down at her dress. Thankfully it hadn't been dirtied too much from the party, but her hair was probably a mess, and that made her slightly uncomfortable for a reason she didn't want to ponder.

"Alright," she said after a few moments. "I suppose that's a good answer. Moving on. Why cookies?"

As she waited for him to reply, she reached down for the plate, took the saran wrap off and picked up a small chocolate chip cookie, and then lifted it to her mouth to take a bite.

Skye smiled as he watched her expression after biting into the cookie. Her eyes widened, surprised at how good it tasted, and then she seemed to sink into the flavor in her mouth and relax.

Once she had swallowed the first bite, he replied, "I wasn't lying when I said I make good cookies. Even better curry, actually. Do you cook?"

"Tonight's my night for questions," Jill said, but it came out a little funny because her mouth was full. Skye smiled, and she swallowed quickly before continuing, "But if you really want to know, I'm about as good at cooking as carrots are at baseball."

"What?"

"Do carrots play baseball?"

"Not the last time I checked, no."

"There you have it, then," Jill said.

Skye let out a laugh, an actual, legitimate laugh, and then said, "You certainly are an interesting girl, Pony."

"Or so I've been told," Jill replied, and then she took another bite of cookie. They were both silent for a moment, and then the girl swallowed again, and asked, "Why did you break into my house?"

"Thief's honor," Skye began, "that wasn't me, believe it or not. I would have set the cookies on the table but it was overturned, so I just put the plate by the window, hoping you'd see it. I don't even have the first clue of who did it. I told you there were mistrustful people in this valley, Pony."

Jill narrowed her eyes in suspicion, trying to read his expression. He looked honest enough, but she couldn't trust him. Not now, not ever.

"I'm not sure whether I believe you yet," she eventually said, breaking eye contact. "I don't see why anyone in the valley would steal from me, or even think I have anything worth stealing in the first place. But anyway, if you're so convinced there's bad people here, why do you stick around?"

Skye shrugged. "It's quiet," he replied. "I've had my share of big-time crime days, just like you. I wanted to settle down...also just like you."

"And yet you still thieve," Jill said, shaking her head. "I'm not sure I understand. And I also have never had 'thieving days,' so you can throw that idea out the window."

"You and I both know you're lying."

Jill was silent. She finished the last bit of cookie, and then stared into the pond, trying to think of more questions. There was so much she wanted to ask, but she couldn't say any of it because it would blow her cover. The Organization was a top-secret crime agency, and if she asked Skye about it he would know she was associated with that world, maybe even associated with Hawk. And if he knew that they had a runaway, it would be over for her. He was a thief. She knew his kind because she was one, well, at least had been one, back when she was very young and very stupid. He would turn her in before she had time to say, "just kidding."

"Don't you think it's a bit curious," Skye suddenly said, "that we happened to meet up here? In the valley, I mean. We're very similar; you honestly just don't know it yet. Such people generally happen to find each other without much guidance. But instead of knowing each other while we were bad people, we meet now, while we're good. Well, you're good, at least. I'm not sure about myself yet. I was joking about the whole 'fate' thing all those nights ago, and the first night. I'm not a star-reader or anything. It's a semblance I use to enchant ladies such as yourself, though you don't seem very phased by it. But even though I was joking, it's almost as though we were, in fact, meant to meet, for a reason neither of us know yet."

Jill felt his gaze on her face, and she turned to look at him. They sat there staring into each other's eyes for a fair amount of time. Jill noticed it again, just as she had the second night she encountered Skye: age. His eyes were lined with age. He was too young. She was too young. They were both too young to see the things they had seen, to do the things they had done. But not only that. To actually understand the causes and the costs of what had happened. They were deep thinkers, both of them. Any other stupid apprentice could have just shook it off and enjoyed the rush of the carnage, but not Jill. She grew to understand it, to hate it without ever justifying it. Because, for some of the things they had allowed to happen, there was no justification. Maybe it was the same for Skye.

For some reason, that made hope flutter in her stomach. She immediately pushed it back down, though, because she was sure it was false.

"You're crazy," Jill murmured, shaking her head and breaking the trance.

"And you're dangerous," Skye chuckled. "Too easy to open up to."

Jill spent just a few more seconds looking at him. He had turned back to the spring, but his profile was still glowing in the moonlight. Jill had to admit that, without his leopard suit, he looked a little more attractive and less strange than he should have been. His lean but muscular arms were fully exposed, the tendons at his wrists bulging a bit because he was gripping his hands together.

"I should go," she said quietly, picking up the plate of cookies and then proceeding to stand up. "Thanks for the cookies, though. They're good."

Skye nodded. "No problem. Don't forget what I said, though. We're similar. Whatever this collision is, it's bound to happen eventually."

"Again, you're crazy," Jill said as she turned to leave.

_But I can't help thinking that maybe you're right. _

• • •

**A/N: **I apologize for the length of this chapter. There wasn't really a good stopping point until now. Nonetheless, if you review, I'll love you eternally. And everybody loves being loved for eternally lengths of eternalness. (wait, what?)


	11. Chapter 11: The First Bite

**Chapter Eleven: The First Bite**

The day after the Spring Thanksgiving festival, Jill decided to finally order her chicken coop from the professional carpenter in Mineral Town, Gotz. Now that Muffy had hooked up her phone line she was able to reach the shops without too much hassle.

She spent the time until the shop opened its phone line cleaning up her house from the previous night's robbery. She hadn't bothered to tell Takakura, even though he was technically her landlord. If it was someone dangerous after her, Jill didn't want to drag him into it.

It wasn't hard to move all the furniture back to their designated places, but putting her clothes back in the dressers was a bit more of a tedious job. She spent the time thinking about her life and reflecting on changes, as well as humming a bit to herself, something she hadn't done in quite some time but had missed greatly.

At eleven o'clock she finally picked up the phone to call the carpenter, ordered the chicken coop, and then tried to figure out what to do with the rest of her day. It was drizzling outside, the first time in about a week, so she figured Celia might have some free time because the fields wouldn't need as much tending.

Without much thought, Jill opened the door and left her house. Her stomach was grumbling, as all she had eaten for breakfast that morning was a piece of bread. After the chicken coop she would think about getting a house upgrade in order to obtain a kitchen. In the meantime, maybe going to Celia's and getting some grub was a good idea after all.

She walked through the rain, feeling content despite the fact that someone obviously wanted something from her. That much had been discovered after last night's incident. She had narrowed the possibilities of the thief down to three options: Skye, someone from out of town, or someone in the valley who somehow knew her secret. It was a very broad speculation, and the most likely option was Skye, but some part of her felt that he wouldn't be as obvious if he broke into someone's house. Plus, the cookies had still been warm when she arrived, and the time it took to go through all of her stuff would have caused them to cool. Thus, Skye either had super speed, or he wasn't an option anymore. Jill was hesitant to eliminate him, though, because she didn't want to believe anyone in the valley would try to steal from her.

Her head cleared when she arrived at Celia's home. Sure enough, Vesta and Marlin were out in the fields, but with a nod of her head Vesta indicated that the other brunette was inside of the house.

Jill entered the brown thatched roof building to the comforting smell of chocolate chip cookies and fresh vegetables. Celia was working at the stove, her hair draped over her face like a curtain and dawning her usual green dress and yellow apron.

"Hi, Celia," Jill greeted.

Celia threw a quick look over her shoulder and smiled. "Hi to you, too, Pony. Want some lunch?"

Jill smiled. "Not to take advantage of you or anything, but yes, please."

"It's no problem," Celia replied.

A minute later they were both sitting at Celia's kitchen table, munching on chicken salads and chocolate chip cookies.

"You're such a good cook," Jill said around the food in her mouth. "I keep telling myself I'll get a kitchen so I can take care of myself, but I'll miss this fine cuisine." When Celia blushed a bit, Jill added, "Honestly, I can't cook to save my life. I sure am glad I got some cookies to munch on at the festival last night."

Celia giggled. "That festival was a hit! Your theme was amazing. Everyone loved it. And that thing you did during capture the flag? That was incredible."

"It was nothing," Jill replied. "I just get really competitive." She glanced over her shoulder through the window to make sure Vesta and Marlin were still occupied with their fieldwork before continuing, "So, any cookies from Grumpy Pants last night?"

Celia turned red again, and replied, "I wish. He's kind of smitten with this angel he saved from drowning a while ago."

It took Jill a moment to understand what Celia was implying, and then her jaw dropped so fast it made a little popping noise. "Goddess, he likes _me_?"

Celia nodded, half smiling. "At least I think so. Have you really not noticed the way he looks at you sometimes? I think he developed an attachment to you when he saved your life."

Jill put her head on her hand and frowned. "Man, I'm so sorry, Celia. I'll start acting totally disgusting around him or something so he'll stop liking me and start liking you again."

"No, it's okay," Celia said. "It was just a crush, anyway."

Something about the way that Celia said that made Jill sure it was exactly the opposite, but she didn't deny it for Celia's pride's sake. Instead, she said, "Well, you have nothing to worry about because I don't do guys, anyway." After seeing the look on Celia's face she continued, "Not that I'm like lesbian or anything. Well, not that I have anything _against _lesbians, it's just...okay, never mind."

Celia was giggling like crazy while Jill fumbled with her words, attempting to sound accepting of all choices but still get the point across that she didn't like guys.

"Why no guys?" Celia asked when they stopped giggling, and then swallowed a bite of salad. "If it's personal, I understand," she added quietly.

Jill chewed a bit of cookie very slowly, deciding whether or not to tell the girl about her previous love life. She had tried so hard over the past year to hide him away in the very back of her mind, to not remember anything happy or sad about their relationship that had ended so tragically, for lack of a less dramatic word.

Eventually, she decided telling Celia would probably be harmless, so she began, "Well, I had a fiancé once."

Celia gaped. "A fiancé? But aren't you my age? Isn't that a little young?"

Jill smiled. "Younger than you, actually. It was sort of an arranged type of thing. Anyway, I was working in this business, and the CEO had this son, about my age. The boss really liked me, and helped me get to the top of the organization." Jill paused, thinking over her words before continuing. "His name was Luther. It's funny, because his dad knew that he wanted us married before I even met the guy. It didn't matter though, because as soon as I met Luther, well..." She trailed off, reminiscing their meeting and how they hit it off so well. They were dating just after her first six months at the organization. "Anyway, we were young, and stupid, and I didn't know what I wanted yet. We disagreed a lot on certain subjects and eventually I just...I backed out."

She remembered that night. The images and words came swirling back in a typhoon of loss and hurt. She and Luther always disagreed about the way they would run the organization, but when Jill realized she wanted to stop killing people, to stop harming towns and places, Luther wouldn't run away with her. The rest was complicated. He tried to talk her into staying at the organization, but she couldn't. The night she exposed the files and ran away, he was the one who shot her, and Jill was left with a shoulder wound as well as a broken heart.

She did love him before. She really did. She couldn't anymore, though. It's hard to love someone that tries to kill you.

"I haven't had contact with him since then," Jill continued, "but I don't mind all that much. I've just been traveling around, looking for a place to actually settle down now that I'm older." _ Or to just get away from Hawk and his pigs_, she thought.

Celia must have seen her wistful expression because she reached across the small table and grabbed Jill's hand. "Did you really like him?"

Jill nodded. "Yes. We were good for each other. But there was always something weird about it, maybe that our views didn't quite match. It wasn't one of those instances where it was just a physical connection, there was certainly some type of emotional connection, but because he was so in with his father's Robber Barron views, we couldn't reach the level of depth that I wanted us to. Do you know what I mean?"

Celia smiled, her eyes full of understanding. "There was a boy in Kingsly I thought I loved. We seemed to work, but he was so obsessed with the city and his work that he wouldn't pay attention to me anymore. That's why I like Marlin so much, because he can find a balance between the two. I know you don't see it like I do, but he is very kind and caring toward me and Vesta."

"I would believe it," Jill replied, glad to have the subject off of her and Luther. She had already spent a year thinking about him, she didn't need another five minutes. "After all, Marlin kind of saved my life, so it's not as though I'm going to criticize him."

They were both quiet after that, and Jill pondered the fact that Marlin apparently was infatuated with her. Now that she thought about it, there had been a few instances where she had caught him randomly staring at her.

That wasn't unsettling as her newly brought up thoughts about Luther, though. The white hot heartbreak she felt previously had been reduced to more of a dull ache, but she wasn't sure she was ready for anyone yet.

_Let alone Marlin, or Skye._

She shook her head. The thought slipped out like a car wheel on ice, and she wanted to hide it away again immediately. When had Skye become a candidate for her affections?

_Because somewhere inside, you know he's right about the two of you being similar, therefore meant to be together. _ This time the thought came out with her permission. But whether it was truthful or just an excuse for her slip up, Jill wasn't sure.

Wanting to escape from her own swimming pool of accusations, Jill nonchalantly said, "I ordered a chicken coop today."

Celia, who, judging by her rapid blinking, had also been deep in thought, replied, "Second week of spring and you've already got a chicken coop. Not bad, Pony, not bad. Soon you'll be a rival with us!"

"Livestock, maybe, but I doubt my crops will ever compare to Vesta's," Jill smiled. "Thanks anyway though."

The rain was falling even harder by the time they finished eating, but Jill suddenly wanted to be alone. She put her fork down and thanked Celia for lunch. The other girl invited her to stay longer, but Jill made the excuse that she still had some farm work to attend to.

It was hard to guess what time of day it was because the sun was covered with clouds, but Jill guessed that it was mid afternoon. She didn't have much to do other than walk in the rain, and that was fine with her. She ended up heading toward the spring, wondering if maybe the Goddess would be able to contact her again even though she wasn't sleeping.

The water of the pond was clear, as usual, and Jill spent some time in deep thought, staring at her own reflection. She was somehow still pale even though she spent most of her time outside, and her hair was frizzy thanks to the rain.

She was a little surprised she had even managed to tell Celia about Luther without breaking down into tears. It was so hard to think about him. It always led her to wonder what exactly went wrong, and what compelled him to _shoot _her that night. Anger she could understand, after all, she had betrayed him, the organization, his father, and broken his heart all at the same time. But the fact that he shot her, the girl he supposedly loved for at least two years, made her wonder if the whole thing had been a lie. For her it certainly wasn't. Now that she was older and had a clearer head it was easier to see that the relationship had been very flawed, but that didn't mean she had never loved him.

It took Jill a few minutes to realize that there were tears on her cheeks, not just raindrops. She wiped them away, took a shallow breath, and let the sobs come freely. Her past was easier to bear during the day, but sometimes time spent being awake and around people took its toll.

She sat at the spring for around an hour. Her feet grew numb and fell asleep, but she didn't mind much. Thoughts of home and her family swam around in her head like little minnows. They had been a good family. It was her, her little brother, her mom, and her dad. They lived just outside the city in a small suburb, and before that they spent time in the country until Jill was eight and her brother was three, an era which Jill fondly referred to as "The Golden Years."

After that they moved to the city, and when Jill turned sixteen, she stumbled upon the Organization. The reason she joined was part blackmail, part financial reasons, and maybe a tiny part of it was also that she wanted to prove to the world she wasn't just "that smart, nice girl from school" who lived the average life. She wanted to prove to _herself_ that she was more than that, that she wasn't a coward.

And now, about three years later, here she was, the biggest coward of them all, family dead, house burned down to ashes, friends in danger, not able to maintain a healthy life thanks to her own mistakes.

It filled her with so much guilt she could hardly bear it.

After her eyes dried and her nose cleared again, she rose slowly from the spring, feeling a little better now that her thoughts had settled down. It was normal for her to have a good cry usually once every week, but she had been so busy for the past three weeks that a check-up with the subconscious and soul was long overdue.

She ended up going to Ruby's inn to take a shower and clean up as well as get some food she could eat later at her house. The warm water felt much more soothing than the rain, and the Jill felt her head clear completely. Rational thoughts and optimistic views came back, pushing out the thoughts of her bad deeds and her trials and errors.

Sometime during the evening when she was sitting at her house enjoying the quiet, the rain cleared up, but she still didn't feel much like going outside. Finally, at ten o'clock, feeling somewhat hollow, she crawled under the covers and fell into a deep slumber.

The Harvest Goddess did not visit her, but she did have a new dream. It was not the same nightmare as those before when she ran through the forest, away from the pigs. This time, she was walking through the field at the spring, but everything was shrouded in a blue mist. She picked flowers and watched butterflies float in the sky, as if she were in some sort of movie. She stepped lightly wherever she walked, feeling completely safe but also delicate. There was something following her trail closely, but she didn't bother to turn around and check what or who it was because she felt so safe.

At that point, Jill's eyes fluttered open, and she was no longer at the spring but in her house. Disoriented, she tried to find out what had woken her up until she heard a pounding at the door. _Who comes this early? _She thought slightly grumpily. _I'm a farmer and I don't even wake up this early. _She then glanced at her alarm clock, which read six fifteen, and realized that she had overslept, so she did in fact normally get this early.

Still feeling dazed, she slid out from under the covers, oblivious to the fact that she was still only wearing a tank top and shots, and walked toward the door. Behind the pounding sound there was a layer of soft drumming, and she realized it was still raining again, too.

When she opened the door, she almost jumped in surprise. A huge man, bigger than Cody, with black messy hair loomed in front of her doorway. He had an axe in one hand, and for a short second Jill wondered if she was about to be murdered on her doorstep. _At least he bothered to knock, _Jill thought. _Better to be killed by a polite serial killer than a rude one._

That was when she saw the red tool box he carried under his other arm, and her memory returned. The carpenter. She had ordered a chicken coop yesterday. Jill let out a breath of relief.

The carpenter, Gotz, rubbed the back of his head, and said gruffly, "You ordered a chicken coop, right?" Jill nodded, still a bit too sleepy to form words. "Okay," he said. "Where do you want it? I can get started right away. If I start now it will take about two days to finish."

Jill squinted a bit, trying to remember where she wanted the chicken coop in her state of sleepiness, when a sudden thought occurred to her. "You're going to work in the rain?" She questioned.

Gotz nodded. "It's no big deal. I work the same way in any condition."

"Okay," Jill replied hesitantly. The fog was gradually clearing from her brain, and so she said, "Here, I'll show you where I think the coop should go."

Gotz stepped aside to let her pass through the entryway, and they started walking toward the field together. When the raindrops hit her bare shoulders Jill was reminded of her skimpy clothing, and she felt just a little bit awkward for being out in just her pajamas with a man much older than her. Quickly, however, she pushed those thoughts away, and focused again on the task at hand. She weeded her field everyday, so there was no need to clear any area for the coop, but she had thought about where it might go. She used the front part of the field for most of her crops, so the coop would go in the back towards a corner in case she wanted to build more coops. That way they would be orderly instead of scattered all over the place.

She quickly explained this reasoning to Gotz, who simply nodded, smiled, said something about getting it done, and then went to work after she showed him the pile of lumber she had built up for him days before.

Jill stood in the rain watching him work for about five more seconds, and then she decided to go inside and get ready of the rest of the day. She was just about to enter her house again to change when she noticed that the flag on her mailbox was up. It was such a surprising sight that she froze for a second just to stare at it.

"I never get mail," she murmured to herself. "Why do I have mail? No one even knows I live here."

She stared at the mailbox for a few more seconds as if it would suddenly talk and say, "Just kidding, you don't have any mail!" before she actually made the effort to open the door and reach for what was inside.

Her hand touched a piece of paper as well as something else. She fingered it for a few seconds, getting a picture in her head to see if it was safe or not. The object was cool and smooth, obviously metal, and she thought she felt a dial on the top, too. _A padlock?_ She wondered.

Sure enough, when she pulled the object out of the mailbox it appeared to be a padlock. The dial was black with white numbers, and the design was fairly simple. It was nothing like locks from the organization, in fact, it was so basic it looked like it came from an average department store, probably one in Kingsly.

Jill then proceeded to pull the piece of paper from the mailbox. It was a small piece, the size of a sticky note, and the first word that popped into Jill's head when she read it was _feminine. _Written in ridiculously neat and pretty handwriting were the words, _Thought you might need this. _

She flipped the paper over and at the same time put her other hand over it like a visor to shield it from the rain, searching for any type of signature or hint as to who it was from. There was none, and so Jill stood out in the rain, looking at the tiny slip of paper and the padlock, probably looking very silly to any outsiders, but inside her head she was reasoning, deducting, figuring.

No one in the valley knew about the break-in except her. That meant that whoever gave her the padlock either had killer physic skills or was the robber themselves, which was a weird way of doing things but she had experienced stranger.

That was when she remembered Skye. He brought the cookies over after the break-in, so he must have known she didn't have any sort of lock. The only thing that didn't fit was the obviously feminine handwriting.

_Then again, _Jill thought, _he's kind of feminine himself. So maybe this could be from him._

Somewhat satisfied with her answer, she neatly folded the note, put it in her rucksack, and then opened the door back to her house and slipped inside.

The combination to the lock was written in a tiny sticker on the back of the metal, so anyone could read it if they were clever enough to check for one. Still, it was better than nothing.

A sudden thought occurred to Jill and she turned to see if her door even had a latch for the lock. It took her a few seconds to find it due to her height, but, sure enough, there was a little latch in the door and wall that connected the two. The piece of wood had a hole in the middle fit for a strip of metal. Jill was briefly reminded of the types of locks they used to have at her old high school, realized they were basically the same, and smiled.

_Well, it won't keep out any serious intruders, _Jill thought once she had the lock secured, _but it will do for now._

After changing into some cleaner clothes and taking a few minutes to work out the tangles in her hair, Jill went back outside again to face the rest of the day. Her crops needed little to no tending, but there were a few weeds to pull and some branches to chop. Whilst doing this Jill thought about how much she really needed material sheds, too, and mentally added the upgrades to her growing list of things to put on to the farm.

When finished with her work, she looked around the area proudly. It was growing, slowly but surely. She was determined to keep the farm, no matter who or what tried to take it from her.

After work was done, Jill decided to head for the inn and see who was there that she could talk to. The rain was beginning to dwindle off again, but there was still no sun in the sky. The cobblestone street of the valley was slippery as she walked the path, and she nearly lost her footing more than once.

The inn was warm and inviting as usual, and once inside, Jill hung her coat on a nearby rack. Surprisingly, there was no one in the lobby, and then Jill remembered that it was still only eight o'clock and most people in the valley didn't even wake up until then. Realizing her fault in coming so early, she almost turned to leave again, and then she heard a voice in the kitchen. Two voices. Men.

Jill recognized one of them as Hardy, but the other one was speaking too softly for her to figure out. Curiosity kicked up inside of her, and Jill quietly creeped over to the kitchen "door," which was really only a curtain made of purple silk.

The other male voice finished mumbling, and then Hardy said quietly, "It's got to be her, Trent. I just have this feeling. I'd bet my entire set of medical tools and some solid gold flatware that it's her."

Trent. That didn't take Jill too much by surprise. Two doctors were bound to know each other. But who were they talking about? She perked her ears a little more, eager to hear Trent's reply.

"I agree," Trent said. "But how can we get her to trust her? Violence is hardly an option, considering-"

"Violence was _never _an option," Hardy growled in a voice that Jill found surprisingly frightening. "I will not hurt her. I've spent far too much time fixing her up for that."

There was a pause. Jill's head reeled. A girl. Violence. Trust. The words sounded all too familiar. They were planning something that she had planned herself thousands of times. Bait.

Then Trent replied, "You're getting attached to her. You know how dangerous that is. Getting attached to the subject is like voluntarily asking for heartbreak. Remember Melissa?"

"How could I forget her?" Hardy sighed. There was a groan as he presumably pulled out a chair. "She was my wife."

"And we lost her. You know what happens, Hardy."

There was more cold anger in his voice when Hardy replied, "It's not like I'm in love with her, Trent. What do you take me for, a creepy old man? No, leave that to the younger men of the valley. But even you have to admit there is a sense of admiration that comes with knowing it's her. The girl who survived. The Unconquered Angel." Hardy chuckled. "Listen to me. I sound like the new boys back at the Organization. If only Hawk could hear me now."

Jill's heart stopped. It couldn't be coincidence. The puzzle pieces fit too well together, and she wanted to deny it so badly but she couldn't. Hardy, her doctor, knew Hawk. He and Trent were on a mission together. And Jill was the subject.

• • •

**A/N: **Merrr. This took forever, I know. A combination of writer's block and broken computer will do that to you. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter even though it's even more muddled than usual. xP


	12. Chapter 12: Double Crossed

**Chapter 12: Double-Crossed**

Jill was frozen in shock. Her eyes got watery, and she felt her chest compress like an accordion. It was a different feeling than that usually associated with danger. Instead of the regular spike of adrenaline that came along with her making up some genius plan, there was a new emotion involved. She felt betrayed.

She should have suspected something, of course. She was too caught up in her dream of staying in the valley to notice what they were planning. If only she had seen the signs, listened harder, anything, she might have realized what was going on.

It was then that the obvious occurred to her. Hardy. He must have been the one that ransacked her house after the festival, which meant he knew she had the flash drive, or at least he suspected it.

Jill's hand moved instinctively to her collarbone. The key was still there, tucked safely underneath her shirt. As long as no one had the key, they couldn't open her journal: it was a special, tiny lock, made by Hawk himself, that she had stolen from the organization before she left. Impossible to pick, and even harder to pull off. Besides, who would suspect to look for a flash drive in a diary?

_Then again, _Jill thought, _they might look in the diary for hints. _

Her mind reeled like an old fashioned movie projector. She probably would have been able to stand there for a few more hours, just thinking, had Hardy not spoken up again.

"We'll have to wait, Trent," Hardy continued. "Just a little longer. I'm patient, you're patient, Taro's patient. Besides, we've been living here for years, and I've grown to like it here more than just a place to stay for a while. This is home. We aren't just pawns for Hawk to place wherever he wants anymore."

The words didn't quite register in Jill's mind, and she felt sick to her stomach. She moved away from the kitchen curtain slowly, quieter than a blade of grass blowing in the wind, and turned to the entrance of the inn. Her head buzzed with questions and accusations. If Hardy and Trent was with Hawk, then who else? Celia? Muffy?

She slipped outside without a sound, and tried to walk nonchalantly to her farm, praying to the Goddess all the way that none of her friends would randomly step outside and request her assistance in something or another. She needed time to think. It felt like hours had passed, but really only minutes had gone by, and suddenly she was in danger even though the valley had felt so safe and tranquil.

As Jill made her way home, she started chiding herself. _You should have suspected it, really, _she thought. _I mean, you're never safe anymore, are you? There's always someone that knows Hawk. He and Luther are everywhere. _

That was when her other side kicked in. _No, it's not your fault, _it said. _It's human nature to want relationships and a safe place. You were just giving in to that, and it's fine. You just have to get out of here now. _

When Jill saw her farm, her _house, _come into view, her heart nearly broke. This wasn't fair. She wanted to pound at the ground and scream at the Goddess and say it wasn't right, it wasn't just, but instead she settled with tensing and relaxing her hands, making them into fists and then stretching them out again.

Once inside, Jill fell onto her bed, and, surprisingly enough, didn't break down. She started at the ceiling, making patterns out of the wood with mind, thinking about how the rain sounded so gentle while inside of her a storm was brewing.

She decided to take her journal out of her rucksack and write a bit in it. She tried desperately to ignore the flash drive that sat like a harmless little lump in the cover, but all she could think about was that it was pretty much the reason she felt like this.

With a shake of the head and a click of the pen, Jill began her entry.

_This doesn't make any sense. Hardy and Trent seem to have betrayed me, because they were talking about a "mission" and whatnot, and I'm the subject. Of course, they didn't say my name, but why would they? Anyway, my own doctor and friend are out to kill me and claim a reward. Awesome. They've bit sitting here in the valley for years just waiting for me to stop by. _

_ But there are a few things that just don't fit. Trent, for example, nearly ran over me with his buggy the first day I met him. If he knew it was me, why didn't he just kill me off then, and say it was an accident? And Hardy could have sedated me any time he wanted during those checkups, and he never did. He didn't even poison me with that crazy herb lotion. And yet they're out to kill me. It just doesn't fit. _

_ Hardy must have been the one to break into my house, though. I should have listened to Skye; he said there were some dangerous people around here. _

_ Maybe I should talk to him. Or maybe I should just leave. That sounds like a better idea. _

Jill paused at this point, and took a deep breath. The problem was she didn't _want _to go. She was putting so many people in danger, though, and so it was the right thing for her to go. Wasn't it?

_ I don't know who to treat better, _she wrote. _The people around me, or myself. Should I be selfish and let myself stay here even though I'm putting all of my new friends at risk, or should I just leave right now? And what about the Goddess? She said that me taking care of the farm was giving her strength. That's so important, the people need her, and I need her. So is it selfish of me to leave, too? _

After closing the pages with a slam, Jill threw both the journal and the pen on the cool wood floor of her house and flopped down onto her pillow. A groaning noise came out of her throat, and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

Hardy was smart, that was for sure. He had proved that because she now trusted him with all of her heart, even though he surely wanted to kill her, or at least throw her over to Hawk. Jill wondered if it was possible that he had been planning all of this all along, and the thought made her even more sick to her stomach. She was sure his actions had been genuine, that he had actually cared for her as a friend as well as patient, but now she didn't have a clue.

And who was that Melissa girl they had been talking about? And Taro?

_I should have stayed longer, _she thought, _and picked up more of the conversation, or something. _

Embarrassment of her failure to realize what was going on crashed down on the girl. Her own ignorance was enough to take her life away from her yet again. The impending doom was almost too much to bear.

Just as she was about to pass out from sheer exhaustion and upset, a tiny, tiny voice in the back of her mind whispered, _no. _

_No. I'm done running. _

Jill felt a strange lightness in her chest as the decision was made firm in her mind. She was done running from Hawk. She wasn't going to play his game anymore. The field was hers to play, too, and she had just as much power as he did. She would stay in the valley, because it was now her home, just as Hardy had grown to think of it. She was stronger than this. She had dealt with Hawk for over three years; she could deal with him a little longer.

Her eyes opened slowly, and she thought to herself, _Angst party over, Jill. You can do this. Get up. _

She continued like this for the next half hour, accomplishing little things around the house by giving herself simple, clear instructions. _Wash some dishes, wash some laundry, clean up the bathroom, clean up the kitchen. _Slowly, through the tiny accomplishments, she regained some mental and emotional strength.

She thought of what her mother used to say about housework: "It's the best kind of happy-maker, because you can see the progress you make really easily." While she hadn't heard the words from her own mother's mouth in a very long time, they still stuck with her whenever she started tidying up.

When she put the last of her four plates in the cupboard, Jill swore she could almost feel her mom there with her, putting her hands on her hips and saying in a satisfied voice, "Well, that's that, Jilly-Billy. What next?"

Jill smiled a little to herself, and thought, _We save this valley, and the Goddess, that's what's next, Mom._

• • •

Far away, Hawk drummed his fingers absentmindedly on his glass desk. It was mid-afternoon, but no sun penetrated his office, because it was at the very base of the organization, far underground. Normal civilians could only see the top half of the organization, a large glass structure that posed as an office building. They made some money off of that business, too, which is what gave Hawk his name as a CEO in the real world, but the bulk of the money came from the crime.

Hawk was alone in the large room. His guards were on lunch break, and he had requested that their replacements leave him and his son, who had not arrived yet, in peace. If need be, they could easily defend themselves.

While he waited for Luther to arrive, Hawk's mind slowly went over details of the previous day's report. Only a select few knew that Jill Knight was still on the run. The rest were left to believe that she had been killed back when she was still running through France, which had been at least two and a half seasons ago, but there were still rumors, and Hawk was working hard to demolish them. The last thing he needed was a rebellion, or another exposing to the government. That had destroyed Project X.

Or, at least, most of it.

Moments later, the wide French door opened, and in stepped Luther Hawk. His platinum blond hair was spiked up as usual, and he was wearing a black shirt that fit his form nicely, making him look attractive and intimidating at the same time. Hawk felt a rush of pride for his son. Luther was one of the only things in the world besides money that actually brought the man happiness. Hawk had trained him well.

Luther smiled as he walked toward the black leather chair opposite Hawk, and said, "Sorry I'm late. Fitzy had me do an example of a blocking exercise for a few of the new recruits, and I couldn't deny him. I thought I was going to be early otherwise."

"Its fine," Hawk replied, and smiled as Luther took a seat. "I'm glad Mr. Fitzgerald knows who to call when he needs a representation."

Luther flashed his white teeth again, and then asked, "So, what's this about? Considering there's no food or servicemen here, I doubt we're having a friendly father-son lunch."

"No, unfortunately, not today," Hawk said. "Actually, we need to talk about Jill Knight."

Luther visibly stiffened. His blue eyes suddenly turned icy as well as held a bit of hurt in them, which Hawk somewhat expected. He too sometimes missed the girl. Neither of them could deny that she fit in with them like a lost puzzle piece. In her time of loyalty, she had completed the slightly dysfunctional family.

"Have they found her?" Luther asked slowly, his voice void of any emotion.

Hawk, impressed with his son's nonchalance, replied thoughtfully, "We have an idea of the area she's in. We were onto her less than a season ago, you realize, and there's only so many places she could be by now. But, we do have a lead."

Luther's eyes lit up. "What kind of lead?"

"Nothing you can be sent in for," Hawk said, and Luther slumped a little. Hawk, feeling a small bit of pity for his son, continued, "I know it's hard, Luther. I miss her, too. But you've got to remember she's an enemy now."

The blond's face hardened like stone. "Miss her? I want her dead." He paused, took a moment to regain a steely composition, and asked, "Anyway, what's the lead? Has that silver-head finally gotten back to us?"

"John?" When Luther nodded, Hawk answered, "Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be taking our threat very seriously. I'll have to convince him a little more thoroughly before he's of any use to us, but he will come around eventually. He has to, because I don't think our legitimate source will be of much help. You know those Black Market men, never quite active like we are."

He was about to continue when Luther interrupted, "A lead from the Black Market? Jill wouldn't...I mean, you trained her, she isn't stupid enough to associate with them while on the run. Do you really believe this guy?"

"He told me it happened by chance," Hawk explained. "Anyway, I think I'm going to contact John again and make him an offer he can't refuse. We've got the bait set, now all we need her to do is bite. Then she's ours."

They were both silent for a moment. _Ours. _Luther felt his insides turn. What would it be like to see Jill again? He hadn't seen her since he shot her. He needed to apologize, he needed to explain, but at the same time there was a burning rage inside of him that wanted to kill her, pressure her until she exploded. His heart ached to see her, and yet he was dreading the day it finally happened.

Hawk, on the other hand, was eager to finally have her under control again. He had plans, grand ideas, threats she couldn't refuse that would bring Project X back into production. His skin crawled with excitement just thinking about it.

"When she comes back," Luther began, "what exactly are we going to do with her?"

Hawk chuckled. "I've got a plant to bring Project X back."

From across the desk, Luther's eyes widened. "Project X?" Without making an attempt to hide his surprise, he objected, "Project X is long gone, father. You know we can't bring it back, not now that the government knows the main gist of it. We were too close to getting caught last time, the Board would have our heads _and _our organization. You know how badly York wants this building, he'll jump at the first opportunity."

"Luther, you seem to be forgetting that Jill was the creator of Project X," Hawk explained, "and if anyone will know how to continue it without making a fuss, she will. If we're correct in her location, there's a lot of threats I can make to bring her back here. Plus, we've still got a few other tricks up our sleeves, including that cousin in Flowerbud that she thinks is so safe. Just trust me, Luther...and don't tell any of your friends about it, please."

The two men spent a few more minutes talking about random happenings at the organization. Luther had very recently returned from a project deep in the heart of the city, and Hawk wanted a more in-depth explanation of the results than the one Thomas and Kyle had given him. The project had resulted splendidly, and they were well on their way to being top candidates for the Board reelection. That's when things would really get going.

After Luther left, Hawk let himself revel in his clever thoughts for a bit. Everything was going exactly as planned. Finally, he knew just how to capture Jill. She was too soft-hearted, too compassionate, and that was her downfall. If he could get John to cooperate, then everything would fall into place.

John had been with the organization a long time ago, but events had happened that made it necessary for him to be released. Since then Hawk had kept close tabs on him, tracking his every move. They had a deal, and Hawk was going to make sure John fulfilled it.

Carefully, he reached for the sleek black phone on the corner of his desk. He dialed the number for the second time that season, and waited patiently as it rang.

Moments later, a crackling noise occurred, and then a groggy voice answered, "Hello?"

"John," Hawk cooed mockingly. "So good to hear your voice again. How are you, my boy?"

Silence. It was so quiet on the other end that Hawk could see the silver-head freeze in his mind. John had a strange quality that prevented him from fearing Hawk, so he usually didn't do what the man asked. But this time, the organization CEO had the upper hand.

Finally, there was a reply. "What do you want, Hawk?" His voice was icy, and Hawk smiled with pleasure.

"I really wish you would have stayed with the organization, John. You're so fearless, it sends goosebumps down my spine. Really, it does. Such a waste for you to run away."

"I didn't run away," John sighed. There was a rustle of what sounded like fabric on the other end, and then he continued, "You kicked me out for nearly exposing you all, remember? Too bad, though, because I heard a few months ago that you've got a new problem on your hands, a girl that happened to accomplish exactly what I intended. How's that going for you? Big man Hawk doesn't feel so big on the Board anymore, does he?"

"I'm still big enough that I can have the Board track you down and kill you."

"And you know I'll get away, because I always do. How many times have you tried to get me killed, now? Three, four? Counting the apartment explosion incident, that's five. And yet you still can't get enough of your shit together to-"

"You watch your tongue, kid, or I'll blow that valley of yours to smithereens and you can say goodbye to your little house on the prairie," Hawk growled.

That surprised John. Hawk was met with silence, and his lips curled up into a menacing smirk, allowing the boy time for the words to sink in.

Finally, in a much calmer voice, John asked, "So how did you find me this time? I was hoping the same phone number would throw you off."

"It did, for a while, actually," Hawk chuckled. "But I have a source in that valley, John. Even you should suspect that."

"I was mostly relying on luck, actually," John replied, and then there was a sharp squeal in the background. "Hold on, Hawk, just give me a second to pour this tea."

Hawk raised an eyebrow even though he was aware of the fact that John couldn't see it. "You have company?"

"No," John replied. "Why, should I be expecting some?"

"Not any of mine," Hawk replied. "I just find it unprofessional that you're drinking tea while negotiating a deal with someone who would prefer you dead but needs your resources."

"Well, negotiate away, good Ol' Hawk-y boy. What's the deal?"

"Same as the message I left you a week ago. Bring me the girl by the end of fall, and you can expect never to hear from me again."

"And if I decide that, for once, I don't want to run around playing Prince Charming to satisfy your schemes?" John asks, and takes an audible drink of tea.

"You and every measly person in that valley dies. One girl, or good people and your own life. Your choice."

There is a long pause, so long, in fact, that Hawk is about to see if John is still there, but then he replies. "Give me until the second week of winter and you have a deal. I have to actually find the girl first."

"It shouldn't take to long, she has to be within a certain radius, but your standards are accepted. It was nice negotiating with you again, John. Or should I call you Skye now?"

The only reply Hawk received was the slamming of a phone against a receiver.

• • •

**A/N: **Shortish chapter. Sorry. Reviews? Thanks everybody. :)


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